Dashing Beyond Friendship
by advocateofpants
Summary: Rainbow Dash has always thought highly of having friends, and never leaving them behind. However, when someone comes forward and confesses a deeper set of feelings for the athletic pegasus, she has no idea of how to react.
1. An Odd Invitation

The time was early afternoon. The place was Canterlot; specifically, the town's outdoor sports arena. Normally, the venue played host to a game of professional hoofball or served as the training grounds for the Equestria Games. Today, however, the Canterlot Megadome hosted a different kind of athletic display: an aerial performance by the Wonderbolts.

As ponies of all ages watched the intricate display of speed, grace, and agility, one pegasus mare had thoughts of what would come after the show. The mare, Rainbow Dash, was a lifelong fan of Equestria's premier flying squad and jumped at any chance to watch them perform, or at least hang out with them. However, on the day preceding the anticipated event, Rainbow got a personal letter from the Wonderbolt captain, herself, Spitfire, asking her to stick around after the show, but gave no reason why.

Under normal circumstances, Rainbow would accept without question. She accepted the invitation; however, the acceptance was made with curiosity at the sudden and vague message. Rainbow continued to ponder the circumstances, eventually zoning out. This gesture didn't go unnoticed; the group of ponies seated closest to her eyed their friend with concern—she _never_ zoned out at an airshow, which meant something was seriously wrong.

"What's on your mind, Dashie?" asked the hyperactive Pinkie Pie.

"Huh?" mumbled Rainbow in confusion.

"You alright, sugarcube?" the southern Earth pony, Applejack, asked.

Rainbow smiled, nodded, and looked back at the majestic skydance.

"Rainbow Dash, what is on your mind?" asked the lavender alicorn, Twilight Sparkle, sternly.

Silence was the initial response.

Not one to forfeit, and also aware of her friend's history of ignoring such interrogation, Twilight tried a new tactic: telepathy.

_Rainbow Dash, what's bothering you?_ Twilight mentally repeated.

_Twilight? What the heck?_ Rainbow mentally asked, her face now lit up in surprise.

_I just wanted to know what's bothering you_, Twilight answered.

_Yeah, I got that_, Rainbow replied, rolling her eyes. I'd _like to know what the hay you're doing inside my head!_

To a spectator, it looked like Rainbow was scowling at the ponies she idolized while Twilight concentrated on a spell aimed at her friend. However, something quite different was happening.

_You're hiding something, Dash_, Twilight thought, accusingly.

_So what if I am?_ Rainbow challenged. _I'm a grown mare; I have full rights to hide stuff if I want to…_ Her eyes narrowed. _…even from nosy little eggheads._

_ Real…_freaking_…mature, Rainbow Dash._ Twilight's lip quivered as she forced herself to remain silent.

"What's goin' on, you two?" Applejack asked, hoping to ease the tension between her friends.

"I've got an egghead _in_ my head!" Rainbow spat, pointing a hoof at her head.

Pinkie laughed at Rainbow's remark; Twilight felt content aiming a death glare at her would-be button-pusher.

_Just wait 'til we get home, you rainbow-headed freak…_ Twilight thought.

"_Freak?!_" Rainbow shouted. "I'll show you _'freak'_!"

"Alright, now…" Applejack said, holding the agitated pegasus back. "That's enough o' that!"

"Let go of me, AJ!" Rainbow Demanded.

"Not 'til you calm down, Rainbow Dash," Applejack replied in a tone she had used when easing her sister's temper.

"Well…Twilight called me a freak," Rainbow said, breathing heavily.

"You started it by calling me a 'nosy little egghead'," Twilight shot back.

"It don't matter who started it," Applejack said, firmly. "I'm endin' it before you get us thrown out o' here."

"Fine," Rainbow muttered. "I just don't take too kindly to being called a freak; it's right up there with that…other nickname I got stuck with."

"Oh, you mean _'Rainbow Crash'_?" Twilight asked, earning a death glare from both Rainbow Dash and their shy pegasus friend, Fluttershy.

"Don't you _ever_ call her that again, Twilight Sparkle," the yellow pegasus warned.

"I'm sorry, Dash," Twilight apologized. "Also, I'm sorry I called you a rainbow-headed freak, but at least you know how I feel every time you call me an egghead."

"Yeah, whatever," Rainbow muttered. "Apology accepted, and all that jazz."

"There we go," Applejack said, calmly releasing Rainbow Dash from her bear hug. "Now tell us what's goin' on with you, Dash. It ain't like you to just black out. I can't help but think Twilight knows somethin' we don't."

"Alright, fine," Rainbow whispered. "Since I'm backed into a corner, I'll tell you. Yesterday, I got a letter asking me to stick around after today's airshow, but it didn't say why. I'm happy, yet suspicious at the same time. I know they have autograph sessions and stuff after a show, but this is the first time I've actually been _asked_ to make an appearance."

"Maybe you finally made it in," Fluttershy said, happily.

"Oh, how I wish…" Rainbow laughed. "But they'd send me an official letter if that were the case."

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see, darling," noted the white unicorn, Rarity.

"Don't remind me," Rainbow grumbled. Waiting was the one thing she hated the most.

"Oh, look at that!" Pinkie exclaimed, pointing at the Wonderbolts.

The other five followed their friend's gesture to find the stunt team beginning the show's epic conclusion. Rainbow Dash was especially mesmerized by the intertwining corkscrews and near-collisions the Wonderbolts were now doing. At the pinnacle of the heart-pounding finale, Dash's eyes fell upon one pegasus in particular.

"Soarin…" Rainbow whispered as the stallion dramatically flared his wings before flipping around and taking a close flight over the bleachers, headlining the act by taking a vertical dive toward the ground at top speed; at the last possible second, Soarin made a corkscrew turn skyward and ended the ascent with a sudden stop in the midst of the wind tunnel the whole display created.

"That was…_amazing…_" Applejack managed.

"Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was showing off for someone," Rarity mused.

"Aw, he's just showing off for his fans," Rainbow quipped, dismissively.

"Then why be so reckless?" Twilight asked, worriedly. "That dive he did had enough velocity behind it to be fatal had he not made that turn in time."

"What?" Rainbow asked, flatly.

"He could've _killed himself_ with that stunt he just did," Twilight clarified. "No fanbase is worth that."

"No, it ain't," Applejack agreed.

"Yeah! Being a recklessly suicidal stunt flier is Rainbow Dash's job!" Pinkie noted, laughing greatly.

"Hey!" Rainbow cut back.

"Why, you don't think—?" Rarity mused, mischievously.

"Rarity, don't you _dare_ finish that thought," Rainbow interrupted.

"Alright, if you insist," Rarity replied with a dejected sigh.

"Why don't we watch the rest of the show?" Twilight offered.

The other five silently agreed, and the group of friends enjoyed the last few moments of the performance just as a foal would enjoy Hearth's Warming Day. With the last set of tricks done, the stadium erupted in the deafening roar of cheering fans, some even asking for more.

With the show now fully concluded, Rainbow Dash and friends made their way out of the seating area. Just like many others in the ocean of Wonderbolt fans, the motley crew made the journey to where the ace flying squad was supposed to gather backstage.

Wonderbolt autograph sessions were always a picture of insanity, especially when they came after a show, but this was a new level of crazy. Promotion for the show said it would be one worth waiting for, and the team certainly delivered on that. The place was now packed virtually wall to wall with ponies, mostly preteen and under, hoping to meet their idols.

"Oh, my stars…" Applejack whispered; the words were lost in the commotion.

_Rainbow Dash, I feel like we should just go somewhere quiet until this storm dies down,_ Twilight telepathically suggested.

_No way! It's now or never!_ Rainbow impatiently thought back, spreading her wings and gaining height in the midst of the crowd confining her and her friends.

In the span of the next second or two following Rainbow's swift movements, the pegasus found herself face-to-face with the mare who wrote to her recently.

"Spitfire!" Rainbow blurted.

"Rainbow Dash!" the Wonderbolt captain replied, recoiling from the surprise encounter. "You about gave me a heart attack! Warn me next time!"

"Sorry. I got your letter. I just wanted to know what was up."

"Give us a moment here, and I'll explain everything."

Rainbow Dash did as requested, rejoining her friends after spotting them in an empty hallway.

"What'd she say?" Twilight asked, sensing her friend's annoyance.

"Told me to wait for 'em to finish up here; Spitfire'll explain everything to me then," Rainbow answered.

Were it a different scenario, Rainbow Dash would have bolted from the scene in an instant, preferring to sleep than to wait on someone. However this was Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts; Rainbow Dash would wait any length of time to speak to her, especially if it was an invitation to join the team.

Some time later, the crowd had dissipated and the Wonderbolts were finally left to their own devices.

"They had _better_ have a good reason for making me wait this long," Rainbow muttered.

Her concern was about to be addressed by the ponies in question as one of them called to her, snapping the rainbow-maned pegasus out of her stupor.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" a female voice called.

"Hey, Spitfire!" Rainbow replied, taking a step back upon noticing that the captain wasn't alone.

Maybe a couple inches behind Spitfire was the ever-cheerful stallion, Soarin.

"Hey, Soarin," Rainbow said, calmly smiling.

"Hey," Soarin replied, returning the gesture with a warm smile of his own.

"So, Spitfire," Rainbow began, suddenly, "what was with that letter you sent me?"

"Ah, that," Spitfire replied with a quiet laugh. "Yeah, that letter wasn't actually _my_ idea; it was _his_." She gestured to Soarin. "Come on, you silly guy."

"Now…I'm _really_ curious," Rainbow said, looking at the stallion in front of her.

"Go on…" Spitfire urged, playfully nudging her teammate and friend.

"Uh… I-I…" Soarin stammered.

"Soarin? What's going on here?" Rainbow asked. "Are you…blushing?"

"N-no…" he said, smiling.

"Oh, my…" Fluttershy whispered, meekly.

"It seems like he is," Rarity observed.

"I am not!" Soarin defended.

"Oh, there's no need to be so ashamed, darling," Rarity noted. "It's _perfectly_ normal."

"I-it's…the heat… Yeah! That's what it is. I over-worked myself doing that last set of tricks." Soarin ended his personal explanation with a wave of nervous laughter and a glance somewhere overhead. Twilight felt the urge to lecture him for his recklessness, but pushed the matter to the back of her mind, especially with the continuation of their current conversation.

"Come on, Soarin!" Spitfire said, noticing that her friend's face was an even brighter shade of red and that he now looked everywhere except at Rainbow Dash. "Quit fooling around; you're not really hiding anything, you know." Soarin didn't respond. "If you won't say it, then I will." Soarin, still blushing, gave his friend a fierce glance; said glance was met with a laugh, which intensified when the flustered stallion snorted, rolled his eyes, and turned away.

"_He_ wanted me to write that letter," Spitfire revealed.

"Seriously?" Rainbow asked, flatly. "He couldn't write to me himself?"

"Dead serious," Spitfire answered. "He's been thinking about you _a lot_ lately, so I asked for an explanation. He didn't say too much, so I suggested that he go to you about it." Soarin looked back for a split second, his face burning under Rainbow Dash's gaze. "_That_ was more or less his response, so I made the suggestion of writing to you. He liked that, but then he faltered." Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Yeah, crazy, right? So I was the one who wrote to you. I kept you in the dark so you could get a proper explanation, courtesy of Prince Charming." Spitfire smiled at her own wit.

"Well, Soarin? What's going on here?" Rainbow asked. "If you've got something to say to me, then say it."

Soarin was still avoiding Rainbow Dash's gaze and was still blushing heavily, but this time, he was smiling calmly.

"Alright, Dash," Soarin said, quietly. "But I'd rather discuss it privately." He found the nerve to smile at the rainbow-maned pegasus before him. "That OK with you?"

"Yeah, sure," Rainbow responded after a sigh.

Soarin pointed to an unoccupied location a short distance away and cleared his throat.

"How about we go over there? Should be safe from…_wandering ears_. Heh, heh…"

"Yeah…" Rainbow replied. "Lead the way."

The two walked away from the crowd, some of its members giggling softly and earning a glare from Rainbow Dash, and found the desired—for Soarin—place to talk.

"OK, Soarin, spill it," Rainbow sternly ordered. "Why go to all this trouble for me?"

"Because I like you!" Soarin blurted, louder than intended, his face bright red again.

"Come again?" Rainbow asked.

"Let me start at the beginning," Soarin sighed. "All those times I bumped into you, I wanted to be able to hang out or something; hard to do that with all the…craziness that kept happening, but I got to know you, regardless. I like you, I respect you, and I think you're amazing; easily one of the most talented fliers I've ever met."

"Thanks."

"Not a problem. Keep up with everything you're doing, and you'll make the team in no time flat."

"Heh heh… Thanks! By the way, what was that trick you did toward the end?"

"You liked that? It's a secret technique I've been working on for…a while; I call it the 'Skyward Strike'! Cool, right?"

"Totally cool!"

"I figured you'd like it."

"I always like watching or doing a new trick, though Twilight said you could've killed yourself with that dive you did."

"Yeah, Spitfire gave me an earful when she caught me practicing that dive; thought I had…lost it."

"No offense, but you don't seem like the type to 'lose it,' or whatever."

"Thanks…I guess…"

"So what led up to this…letter business?" Rainbow asked, suddenly.

"Well…" Soarin sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "That feeling of liking you turned into something…more…especially after I saw the way you got along with your friends. Long story short, it's not your athleticism I admire the most, it's what's in here…" He rested a hoof on Rainbow Dash's chest. "…your undying loyalty and respect toward those closest to you, and that inherent sense of love and kindness that goes with it."

"Wow, Soarin… I…had no idea you felt that way…about me."

"Well, now you know. I had hoped to spend time with you so I could get to know you as a friend, but then…I just began thinking of you as something more. Spitfire caught on and gave me those suggestions to talk to you, but I was legitimately afraid, which of course brings us to where we are now."

"What could _you_ be afraid of?"

"That you'd say 'no'… That you'd reject me… That you'd hate me or think I'm an idiot…" Soarin's voice wavered as tears started to fall from his eyes.

"What in Equestria would make you feel that way? What _did_ you want to talk about?"

Soarin met the question with a sincere honesty that would make Applejack proud.

"I would like to spend…an evening or something…with you because…" He sighed. "…because I love you, Rainbow Dash."

The silence that now hovered over the two pegasi seemed to last an eternity; it was actually just a few seconds.

"How long?" Rainbow cleared her throat. "How long have you felt…this way?"

"About a couple months; two months of _wanting_ to open my heart to you, but being too much of a coward to go and _do_ it."

"So as much as Spitfire pressed the issue, you just _couldn't_ follow through."

"Yeah. I was about to write to you, but at the last second, I fell apart. I ran to Spitfire and…you know the rest." Soarin then fell back to his haunches and cried softly.

"Aw, Soarin…" For once, Rainbow Dash didn't know what to say; this whole scenario confused her greatly. As Rainbow watched the crying Wonderbolt, she could almost feel her own heart break, which was a rare occurrence for her. "I never thought you were so…fragile…"

"Love'll do that to a pony, especially if it's their first time feeling it, like with me." He managed a smile through his tears.

"Just…calm down…" Rainbow Dash was torn; she wasn't one to get emotional, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the infatuated stallion.

Soarin wiped his eyes and stood up. Suddenly, his expression changed; as he looked Rainbow Dash in the eyes, his gaze was now a serious one. His breathing was rather relaxed, but the way he flicked his tail said otherwise.

"Right; no more games," he said. "I've never felt this way about anyone before all of this happened. I'd still like to get together with you, but I won't force you to make a commitment; let it be your own choice. I love you, and I'd be the happiest stallion alive it you were to be my girlfriend, but I also respect you; I'm willing to settle for just being friends."

"I'll…think about it," Rainbow Dash sighed. "But for now, I'll accept your offer of friendship. I wouldn't mind hanging out with you; 'the more the merrier,' as they say. Anything beyond that… I'm truly flattered, if not a bit surprised; you're the first guy that's come to me with confessions of love rather than insults. Thanks for that, Soarin."

"Thank _you_ for your honesty and your consideration, Rainbow Dash."

"Now that _that's_ sorted out, what happens next?"

"You tell me. I've got plenty of free time, so we could still get together if you wanted."

"I feel like I should tell my friends about this, actually."

"Then tell them. Get their opinions, but let the final verdict be your own."

With a nod of mutual understanding between the two, and a quick hug from Soarin, they rejoined Spitfire and company.

"So…how'd it go?" Twilight asked.

"I'll…elaborate when we get home," Rainbow answered.

"I guess we should let you get going, then," Spitfire noted. "Come on, Soarin."

"See you around, Rainbow Dash!" Soarin happily said as he and Spitfire went to rejoin their teammates.

"Well, let's head back," Twilight suggested. "Spike's probably worried himself silly."

With that, the six friends left the sports arena behind.

* * *

><p>Afternoon made way for the evening as the group of friends made itself comfortable inside Golden Oaks Library. Initially, they ecstatically shared their favorite moments of the athletic display they had witnessed just hours ago. However, that merriment fell flat when they remembered the encounter after the show, and the internal conflict it sparked in one of their number.<p>

"Alright, we had a blast in Canterlot, socialized a bit after the show, and now we're back home," Twilight summarized. "What went on between you and Soarin, Rainbow Dash?" She calmly looked at the pony in question with concern.

"The guy's in love with me," Rainbow answered, wanting to get the matter resolved as soon as possible.

"_I knew it!_" Rarity cheered.

"So Soarin's got the hots for you," Applejack noted. "What're you going to do?"

"I don't know," Rainbow confessed. "I've never been in love, and I've never had anyone in love with me. _Rarity's_ the hopeless romantic; not me."

"Hey!" Rarity cut back.

"Tell him how you feel," Twilight calmly suggested.

"I did; I thanked him for his feelings, told him that I'd be fine with plain old friendship, and promised him that I'd…think about…being with him."

"Do _you_ love _him_?" Twilight asked.

"Considering this situation on top of the…mess that I've lived through, I respect him and I like him, but I don't _love_ him; not now, anyway."

"So you _could_ love him?" Twilight asked.

"I…guess so," Rainbow confessed. "If I had to, I could…probably…go for it…"

"Don't do it because you _'have'_ to, darling," Rarity advised. "Do it because you _want_ to."

"That's the problem, Rare," Rainbow replied. "I want friendship, but I've never really wanted anything beyond that. I never felt like I _needed_ that, either. I seriously don't know what to do."

"Follow your heart," Rarity suggested.

Rainbow Dash placed a hoof over her chest, right where Soarin had touched her earlier, and sighed.

"I think I can do that," she said, calmly. "Just…tell me where to start."

"Very well," Rarity replied. "Start at the beginning and go from there. Get to know each other as friends, just as you wish to do now. See how that works, and _then_ you can start talking about committing to a relationship."

"So just keep things as they are for now, and in time, I might share Soarin's feelings," Rainbow summarized. "Sounds easy enough…"

"But it's so much more complex than you realize," Rarity replied.

"You know," Applejack began, "it's funny hearin' Rainbow havin' an open conversation about love." She punctuated the statement with a laugh.

"Stop laughing!" Rainbow commanded.

"Aw, look at her," Applejack teased, noting the red tint on her friend's face.

"Cut it out, AJ!" Rainbow replied.

"Our little Dashie's growin' up," Applejack noting the red tint on her friend's face.

"On a serious note," Twilight cut in, "as your friends, we are all here to listen to what you have to say and to cheer you on. But no matter what you decided in the end, you have our support, Dash."

"Thanks, guys," Rainbow replied.

After a brief silence, Twilight noted the late hour and the group of six parted ways for the night. Each one, after reaching their respective place of residence, prepared for bed and drifted off to sleep—each one not named Rainbow Dash, that is.

* * *

><p>"Ugh…!" the exasperated pegasus shouted. "Darn it, Soarin! Why did you wait? <em>Why<em> did you rely on Spitfire?"

Rainbow Dash pulled her blanket up to her chin and stared at her bedroom ceiling. When the remnants of the chat with Soarin faded, Rainbow Dash's mind replayed the conversation in the library.

_Tell him how you feel_, Twilight suggested.

_Follow your heart_, Rarity advised.

_Our little Dashie's growin' up_, Applejack teased.

Rainbow Dash turned and looked out her bedroom window and gazed at the night sky.

"I wonder if Soarin's having trouble sleeping," Rainbow muttered.

Having her fill of stargazing for the moment, Rainbow Dash turned her back to the window and shut her eyes, desperately wanting to sleep.

_As your friends, we're here to listen to you… _Twilight calmly offered.

"That's it!" Rainbow declared as she sat up. "I need a different opinion…" With that, she grabbed a pencil and piece of paper from her bedside drawer and went into the kitchen. After sitting at the table, she placed the paper in front of her, placed the pencil in her mouth, and began writing.

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_ Just had something really weird happen to me, or at least unexpected._

From there, she described her talk with Soarin, the discussion with her friends afterward, and the feelings of utter confusion she felt toward the whole ordeal.

With the letter finished, Rainbow Dash got an envelope, addressed it, and sealed it after placing her message inside. With a sigh, she went out long enough to place the letter in the mailbox. Feeling suddenly relieved, Rainbow returned to her bed and made herself comfortable. With a sigh of contentment, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	2. Clearing the Clouds

The next day arrived with a majestic flourish bringing with it a fanfare of warmth that was the midsummer sun. With the calming atmosphere outside, Rainbow Dash awoke with a smile on her face. As if by clockwork, Rainbow looked at the clock on her bedside table.

"Nine o'clock…" she mumbled.

After sitting up, yawning, and stretching, Rainbow made her way to the bathroom. After a quick look in the mirror, she hopped in the shower.

As the warm water cascaded down her body, Rainbow's thoughts went back to the previous day. The Wonderbolt airshow… The post-show conference… The conversation with her friends…

"Ugh… Stupid Soarin!"

_Take some time to think about it…_ the Wonderbolt said.

"I _am_ thinking about it, and it's driving me crazy!"

Now fully awake, Rainbow finished her shower and headed for the kitchen.

"One step ahead of you," she muttered, acknowledging her rumbling stomach.

After a few apples, Rainbow felt a bit better, more or less ready to take on the day…save for one nagging thought…

"Aw, horseapples!" she swore. "I got to get some air…"

Rainbow Dash flicked her tail in annoyance as she headed out to her front porch and scanned the scenery below and around her. A few moments of this, and she felt boredom set in. With a strained sigh, she flew down to check her mailbox to find it empty, and retreated to her favorite pastime: flying around town.

"Why now? It's often calmed my nerves before…"

As she graced the Ponyville skies from one end to the other, Rainbow's irritation subsided, allowing her to focus on a more pressing—in her eyes—matter.

"Let's clear some clouds. Sunny skies in ten seconds flat!"

Personal goal set, Rainbow got to the task. Exactly ten seconds later, the sun had a clear view of the world below and vice-versa, no cloud having received mercy from the rainbow-maned weather mare.

"And now, back to being awesome."

With the usual air of bravado filling her, Rainbow Dash took off like one who was just launched from a cannon and pushed her way through the air accordingly, leaving a rainbow-colored trail in her wake. Every so often, she admired her handiwork with the clouds, but mostly, she just did her usual collection of flips, dives, and spins.

No amount of such antics could bore the acrobatic pegasus. While she openly loved watching others perform such stunts, Rainbow loved performing her own stunts more, especially if she got to fly fast. She pondered the idea of giving a private show to each of her friends as she passed over their homes, but after the conversation from last night, she felt somewhat uninterested in seeing them at the moment.

Having her fill of showing off for no one in particular, Rainbow headed off for another favorite activity of hers: napping. After producing a new cloud, she tested and adjusted it as needed, and flopped down on the plush white surface. Empty-headed and optimistic, Rainbow smiled and closed her eyes, blocking out the world around her. A moment later, she was asleep.

* * *

><p>Ponyville always carried a certain charm to it, particularly in the middle of the daytime. The city was the most active with ponies at the market, hungry townsfolk mingling somewhere for lunch, or children getting picked up from school. That last activity always seemed to create the most, if not all, of the afternoon commotion.<p>

In the space of a half hour, Ponyville Schoolhouse found itself abandoned until the next morning. In stark contrast, the streets echoed with the voices and laughter of young fillies and colts socializing with parents or older siblings as they headed home.

In the midst of the liveliness below, Rainbow Dash slept deeply, her snores loudly piercing the sky nearby. No doubt about it; her prior activities exhausted her more than usual. Occasionally, she rolled over or subconsciously batted at something, but no matter what, the pegasus didn't—

"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" a young voice called.

That got a little bit of a response; though, it was little more than a gentle flutter of wings.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" the voice repeated.

With a long yawn, the dazed pegasus stood up and looked down, hoping to find the one daring enough to interrupt her nap. Her mood softened upon recognizing a scooter and the helmeted orange pegasus piloting it.

"Hey, Scootaloo!" Rainbow greeted as she swooped down to meet her admirer. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering if we could hang out for a bit, unless you're busy," Scootaloo answered, calmly removing her helmet.

"I'm _never_ too busy to hang out with you," Rainbow replied, playfully tussling her "sister's" purple mane.

"Thanks, Rainbow Dash!"

"So what do you want to do?"

"Actually…" Scootaloo sighed. "I wanted to talk to you about something; just something I've had on my mind lately. I'm not even sure how to explain it."

_Her, too? Perfect…_

"Think you could help?"

"Maybe…but how about we go someplace quiet?"

"Alright!"

After making the necessary preparations, Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash set off.

* * *

><p>"Whoa…" Scootaloo sighed as she took in the majestic scene before her.<p>

"Yeah, it is pretty cool, isn't it?" Rainbow asked in agreement.

Rainbow Dash had escorted her young friend to a secluded outcropping close to the border of the Everfree Forest. In the midst of the trees behind them and the canyon ahead, the two friends were granted an uninterrupted view of the Equestrian sky above.

"I come out here when I _really_ need to be alone; bad day, stuff on my mind, you get the idea," Rainbow explained.

"Yeah, I do," Scootaloo mumbled. "I usually just run to the Crusader clubhouse."

"So what's on your mind, Scoots?"

"Where do I start?" She flinched at the touch of a wing being draped around her shoulders. The thoughtful act met with such a defensive response set the gears of thought inside Rainbow Dash's head in motion.

"Hey, what gives? You know I won't hurt you…"

"I'm really sorry, Dash… I've just been on edge lately, but I've kept smiling so no one would worry."

"Why do that? It just makes things worse." She noticed tears on her friend's face. "Talk to me, kid," Rainbow commanded in a maternal tone of voice.

"If it isn't one thing, it's something else…"

"Like what?"

"Between this Cutie Mark business and my wings…I just can't catch a break!"

Rainbow managed a pained sigh.

"Both topics we've discussed before. You've got the support of your friends to help you get your Cutie Mark, and I've said it before—it doesn't matter if you can fly or not; you're all kinds of awesome, anyway. That scooter of yours…and the stuff you can do with it… That proves that you're destined for awesomeness."

"I really appreciate that, Rainbow," Scootaloo sniffed. "…but it's not my friends I have to worry about… It's my family…"

That was like a knife to the heart for Rainbow Dash.

"Why do you say that? I always figured you were pretty close to your family."

"I am…to a fault…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"My parents take care of me, just as they should, but…" Scootaloo sighed and looked skyward.

"But…?"

"They're all I have here; the rest of my family lives way up north, so I don't see them much. I get along with my parents and some of my other relatives, but you, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom have felt like more of a family than my own family. The reason I asked if you could be like my big sister is because I don't have any siblings of my own, and I really admire what you can do. I figured…'Why, not?'"

"That's…" Rainbow Dash became misty-eyed. "That's all really sweet of you to say, Scootaloo, but…don't you think you're being a bit hard on them?"

"No. Why?"

"Tell me about these other relatives."

"We had a family reunion about a couple weeks ago. That was why I disappeared for a few days."

"I remember that; please continue."

"We came back early because of some…complications. They know about my flying 'disability' and my lack of a Cutie Mark, and there were some…mixed messages about me at the reunion." Scootaloo shifted uneasily in Rainbow Dash's embrace.

"What did they say?"

"Some of it was said to my parents, but I still got the hint. Some of them sincerely believe I'll get there some day, whether it's my Cutie Mark or my wings; a couple of my cousins even asked for scooter lessons!" Scootaloo laughed at the memory, prompting a smile from Rainbow Dash, but both were short-lived.

"It was the insults that made us leave early; the drama caused by…me. Some thought it was a wasted effort on my part to try flying. Some thought I was seriously wasting my time with Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle; they believe the idea of 'crusading' for a Cutie Mark is…ridiculous or stupid. It was bad enough that they insulted my friends…" Scootaloo leaned into Rainbow Dash and sobbed.

"They— They called me a-a-a _disgrace_! The Cutie Mark business was…mostly minor…" She paused to breathe. "They thought it was strange that I'm still a blank flank, but they made an even bigger deal about my wings. Some blamed my parents, even going as far as asking if there had been a mistake when I was born, thinking I should've been born as an Earth pony instead. No matter how much my parents tried to defend me—no matter what they said—"

"None of them would listen." Rainbow made the observation with a hint of malice in her voice. "How can anyone be so short-sighted or cruel?"

"My parents thought that as well; they just got fed up with everyone talking about me—and even _to_ me—like that, so we got our things and came home."

Rainbow Dash gently pulled Scootaloo into a full hug, allowing the younger pegasus to shed all the heartache she received from her own relatives. As Rainbow Dash comforted her friend, she calmly looked toward different parts of the sky.

"Hey, sis?" she whispered as she stroked the filly's mane.

"Y-yeah?" Scootaloo replied, meeting Rainbow's warm gaze with her own.

"I'm proud of you for talking to me about this."

"Th-thank you…sis…" She leaned against Rainbow Dash and closed her eyes. "I've just had such a hard time with this… Ever since that family reunion, I couldn't help but wonder if they were all right about me. My parents do what they can to help me…and comfort me, and I love them for that, but I have that nagging fear that _they'll_ wind up giving up on me."

"No good parent would abandon their child. Anyone that would has no right to even _think_ of having kids. Your parents love you, no matter what; I've seen that for myself. Don't you worry; they won't give up on you, ever."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Some personal experience; just ask Fluttershy. Both of us just had our parents and each other. We both had our flaws, and both of us had our share of drama because of that. I never really saw much of my extended family, but Fluttershy did, and it wasn't always pleasant. She had trouble flying, just like you do now, and among those that doubted her were some of her relatives."

"I had no idea…"

"She can explain it better than me. Anyway, her parents stuck by her, just as my parents stuck by me. The premise was the same, even if the circumstances were different."

"So Fluttershy might be able to help me?"

"Yeah; just go and talk to her."

"I will; thanks!"

"Any time, kid!"

The two sat in the warm silence for a while before Rainbow Dash spoke again.

"Actually, there's been something on my mind, as well."

"Really? Like what?"

_I have no idea how well she'll understand it, but if she's willing to trust me with her problems, then I have no problem trusting her with this._

"Yesterday, my friends and I all went up to Canterlot for a Wonderbolt airshow."

"Awesome! How did it go?"

"It went really well, even though I had some trouble focusing on what was going on."

"Really? What happened?"

"Two days ago, I got a personal letter from Spitfire. All she said in that letter was that she wanted me to stick around after yesterday's performance, but gave no reason why."

"Interesting…"

"Yeah, I thought so, too. It kept eating at me, so I enjoyed the show as much as I could and stayed after, just like Spitfire wanted. Turns out, _Soarin_ was the one who actually wanted to talk to me, but he was so scared, he had Spitfire write to me instead."

"That's…odd…"

"My thoughts exactly… Spitfire left out a few things so I could get a proper explanation from Soarin. Turns out that the poor guy wanted to meet up with me, or at least talk to me, but he always ended up getting cold feet. Our meeting yesterday broke that."

"Why would one of the Wonderbolts get cold feet over you? What's that actually mean, anyway?"

"It means he had something to talk to me about, but he was afraid because he wasn't sure how I'd react."

"What did he want to talk to you about?"

"Something personal, like something you'd write in a journal, if you kept one."

"Sounds like something I wouldn't even care about…"

"You probably won't care about it; you may not even understand it, but whatever… The reason Soarin went to all this trouble just to talk to me was that he had a confession to make. That confession was that he's…" Rainbow closed her eyes and sighed. "…he's in love with me."

"Wait. You mean Soarin of the Wonderbolts…likes you?"

"Yeah," Rainbow laughed. "Poor guy's got it bad; he told me he's had these feelings for me for about two months now, and he was afraid to tell me because he was afraid I'd reject him or something."

"So then what?"

"I told him the truth; told him that I appreciated the nice things he said about me, and that I was flattered, yet surprised, by his confession. He initially wanted to get to know me as a friend, but over time, his feelings of respect and admiration toward me turned into the massive crush he now has on me."

"He wanted me to think about it, which I've been doing. This is a new experience for me, so I have no idea of what to do or where to start. I like Soarin; just not…like _that_. I think of him as a friend, and he said he'd be fine with that."

"When my friends and I got back to Ponyville, I told them what was up and they each gave me their own bit of advice. Rarity actually recommended that I start off by just being friends with him, and seeing where that goes. Textbook advice, from what I can guess."

"That's great, Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo replied with a faint smile. "I'm happy for you, but what would I know about love? I don't even care about sappy stuff like that. Sorry, but if you were looking for advice from me, you're wasting your time. No offense."

"No worries, kid. To tell you the truth, I've never cared much for romance, either. Given the drama I went through, I've always been fine with friendship; didn't want love, and never saw myself needing it." Rainbow smiled. "Thing is, I have a lot of respect for Soarin, and I'd love to hang out with him some time. I just wish he had worked up the nerve to tell me this sooner. It would've made facing it a lot easier."

"Yeah, I guess I can relate to that. Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle have had moments where they have something on their minds, but can't seem to say it when it matters."

"You've done it, too, Scootaloo."

"I know…"

At the embarrassing recollection, the two friends burst out laughing, fully relaxed after clearing their minds of whatever confusion they felt.

"So what do you say?" Rainbow asked. "Feeling any better?"

"Absolutely! Thanks for bringing me out here and listening to me."

"Any time; just say the word, and I'll be there to cheer you up. Though I do recommend that you go to your parents, first. _They're_ your family; not me. Call me your guardian angel, if you'd like; that's how Fluttershy saw me."

"I'll…keep that in mind."

"What do you say we head back to town? Your parents are probably getting worried about you."

"It's not _that_ late; besides, they're used to me getting home late."

"Really?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Yeah, really; mostly because of Crusader business."

"Alright, then." Rainbow quickly made a mental note to speak to Scootaloo's parents at her earliest convenience before returning to her previous thought. "Let's head back; I can bring you back here any time you like, so no need to worry."

"Awesome! Thank you so much, Rainbow Dash!"

After receiving an unexpected kiss on the forehead from her idol, Scootaloo put her helmet back on, mounted her scooter, and followed the rainbow-maned pegasus back into the forest.

* * *

><p>Back in Ponyville, business continued as usual as ponies of all ages went about their shopping, work, play, or whatever other activity fit their schedule. Occasionally, someone would pause long enough to get the time or have a quick snack before heading back to whatever they were called to do.<p>

On the edge of Ponyville, two pegasi had their own business to tend to.

"So now that we're back in town, what should we do?" Scootaloo asked.

"How about we stop at Sugarcube Corner?" Rainbow Dash offered.

"Yeah, sure!"

"Yeah, no one can resist a treat from Sugarcube Corner."

"Apple Bloom did once…"

"I remember hearing about that…"

As the two conversed, they made their way into the heart of Ponyville and in little time at all, the brightly-colored bakery stood before them. Suddenly rendered hungry by the warm smells emanating from inside the shop, Rainbow Dash entered Sugarcube Corner, Scootaloo directly behind her.

"I don't know about you," Rainbow began, "but a milkshake sounds good right about now, and maybe some cupcakes to go with it."

"Coming right up!" a cheerful voice rang.

No sooner than Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash took their places at an unoccupied table, the owner of the cheerful voice from before appeared with a tray balanced on her head; said tray contained two milkshakes and a dozen cupcakes.

"Thanks, Pinkie," Rainbow happily replied as her friend placed the tray on the table.

"Not a problem, Dashie!" Pinkie replied. "Just say the word if you guys need anything else."

"Thanks!" Scootaloo called as the party pony headed to the kitchen.

Not wasting any more time, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo enjoyed their pleasant afternoon snack. Along the way, Scootaloo's thought drifted from one thing to another, mostly details about her prior conversation with Rainbow Dash. Wanting to save that matter for her parents, Scootaloo thought about her Crusader business.

"Hey, Scoots," Rainbow said, finishing off a cupcake.

"Huh?"

"Promise me you won't try to keep stuff to yourself, alright; talk about your problems."

"I promise."

After the cupcakes and milkshakes were gone, Rainbow Dash left a bag of bits on the table and she and Scootaloo left Sugarcube Corner behind.

"That was really fun…and satisfying," Scootaloo laughed.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, sis," Rainbow replied, warmly.

"Hey, would it be alright if we went back to your place for a bit?"

"I don't see why not. I've got nothing else planned for today."

"Yes!"

The sight of the younger pegasus in high spirits warmed Rainbow Dash's heart immensely, as well as the hearts of any who happened to notice the spectacle. As they wove their way through town, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo could hear the complements headed their way; occasionally one or both of them would react.

"She has such a way with the little ones," one mare said.

"They act more like mother and daughter than anything," a stallion noted, which brought tears to Rainbow Dash's eyes.

"That's a nice thing to say," she replied as she and Scootaloo passed him by.

"That filly's something else with that scooter," another stallion quipped, prompting Scootaloo to blush in response.

"Look at who her role model is," a nearby mare added, prompting a blush from Rainbow Dash.

With the activity of the townsfolk behind them, Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash looked ahead to the edge of town, and their next destination: Rainbow Dash's cloud house. Not anything more than a few minutes later, the majestic structure in the sky was directly overhead.

"We're here!" Rainbow declared.

"Is it alright if we sit down here for a bit?" Scootaloo asked her hovering friend.

"Yeah." With that, Rainbow landed and took her place next to Scootaloo.

"About what everyone was saying as we passed them…"

"I know what you mean. I can't say I've ever heard anyone use the word 'mother' to compliment me before. Most of the time, I hear the exact opposite—that I'd make a lousy mother or whatever."

"Don't listen to 'em! You could be the coolest mom ever!"

"You…really think so, Scootaloo?"

"Yeah, of course I do. You're already the coolest friend ever; best sister I've never had."

"You're such a sweetheart, Scootaloo…"

"So are you, guardian angel…"

As the two openly cried their tears of happiness and gratitude, a new thought crossed Scootaloo's mind.

"I just remembered something my mom told me once. She told me that I should never be afraid to spread my wings. Even if I fall, I can learn from that to better myself."

"That's a nice lesson to live by. In a way, it reminds me of something my mom would sing to me when I was little."

"A lullaby?"

"Yeah; unfortunately, I only remember a small part of it. Luckily, it's part of the chorus as well as the song's title; wraps up how I feel about you, perfectly."

"What is it?"

"'You are the wind beneath my wings.'"

"I don't know what to say…"

Rainbow allowed Scootaloo to lean against her for a moment before breaking the silence.

"Let's get inside; I can carry you if you need me to."

"Sure!" Scootaloo shouldered her scooter and prepared herself for the trip skyward, but froze when she noticed something above.

"Something wrong?" Rainbow asked.

"Yeah, I think someone's wanting inside your house."

Rainbow followed her friend's gaze to discover that there was indeed someone waiting at her front door. Though the distance was vast, she could still discern the figure of a pink pegasus with a blue mane standing patiently at her front door.

"Any idea who that might be?" Scootaloo asked.

Rainbow didn't hear the question as she had already rocketed toward the pony on her doorstop.


	3. Unexpected Visits

To a spectator, such as Scootaloo, it seemed like Rainbow Dash had just tackled a would-be trespasser and now prepared to deliver her own brand of justice to the culprit. However, a much friendlier exchange had occurred. While Rainbow _did_ tackle the pink pegasus, it wasn't an act of aggression; it was an enthusiastic greeting highlighted by a hug that would make a chiropractor cringe.

"Mom!" Rainbow exclaimed, happily. "What are you doing here?"

"Let me up, and I'll tell you," the mare replied, laughing.

"Of course. Heh heh heh…"

"Thanks for that; I'm happy to see you, too. Anyway, I got your letter. Your dad and I talked it over, and we felt it would be best for us to come down and talk to you, personally. Unfortunately, your dad's got a whole mess of work-related nonsense going on, so I came down here alone."

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah; just the life of a supervisor caught sorting out someone else's mess," she huffed in irritation. "He sends his regards, and he wanted me to tell you he loves you and wishes you the best."

"That was really thoughtful of him."

"Hey, you know how much we both love you, Rainbow."

"Yeah; I love you guys, too."

The two shared a warm hug, neither wanting the moment to end. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem. However, there was one detail suddenly all but forgotten.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo called. "What's going on up there?"

"Oh, shoot!" Rainbow muttered.

"Forget someone?" her mother asked.

"Yeah; friend of mine who I left down below."

"Well, let's go see this friend of yours; don't want to leave her down there too long."

"Right."

After a playful nudge between mother and daughter, the two made the short flight back to where Scootaloo sat.

"Sorry about that," Rainbow laughed. "Just wanted to say 'hello' to my visitor here." She gestured to the older mare.

"Rainbow Dash, who is she?" Scootaloo asked.

"This is my mother," Rainbow warmly answered.

"Name's Firefly," the visitor answered. "It's nice to finally meet you, Scootaloo. My daughter's told me some nice things about you."

"Has she? She told me some things about you, too," Scootaloo responded in surprise.

"Like what?" Firefly asked. "Nothing _too_ embarrassing, I hope."

"She told me how you and her dad were always there for her and said I reminded her of a song you used to sing to her," Scootaloo nervously summarized.

"Hey, you don't have to be afraid of me, kid," Firefly whispered. "I can be pretty imposing when it's needed, but I'm not one to harm a friend."

"Friend?" Scootaloo asked in disbelief. "But we've only just met."

"You're a friend of Rainbow's," Firefly observed. "That makes us friends by default!"

"Thanks!" Scootaloo replied.

"So what were you guys up to before I got here?" Firefly asked.

"Actually, I'm wondering something," Rainbow said. "How long were you up there waiting for me, Mom?"

"Not that long," Firefly answered, smiling. "Just got to Ponyville maybe five or ten minutes ago."

After a quick nod, Rainbow Dash answered her mother's question.

"Scootaloo and I were just…hanging out for a bit."

"Oh," Firefly responded. "Just the kind of thing I like to do. Anything exciting happen?"

"I took her to this secret hideout of mine, we sat and talked for a bit, then we came back to town and stopped at Sugarcube Corner for a bit, then came here. I honestly was not expecting you to show up," Rainbow explained.

"I'm sorry; I've always had a rotten habit of that," Firefly lamented.

"Mom, it's fine," Rainbow sternly responded. "You don't need to apologize. You're family, and you're always welcome to visit me." Rainbow calmly drew her mother into a hug that was happily returned. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, sweetheart," Firefly whispered through tears of gratitude.

Scootaloo shifted uneasily at the display in front of her; she loved her parents, but always found it uncomfortable or embarrassing when they hugged or kissed her in public.

"Uh…nice Cutie Mark, Firefly," she said, wanting something different to talk about.

"Oh!" Firefly said, perking up at the mention of her name. "Thank you."

"What does it mean?" Scootaloo asked, pointing at the twin blue lightning bolts on the elder pegasus's flank.

"I've interpreted it to represent my lightning-quick reflexes and speed," Firefly explained. "Of course, my husband likes to joke about it representing the lightning-quick temper I had when we first met." She snickered at the thought. "Cue our dismay when we found out that my temper was inherited _and_ magnified." She eyed her daughter.

Rainbow Dash laughed sheepishly under her mother's words and gaze.

"I…don't know what you're talking about, Mom." Rainbow shifted her eyes.

"Come on, stop kidding yourself, Rainbow," Firefly said. "That temper got you into some _serious_ trouble _plenty_ of times; _way_ too many to count."

"Yeah, I know…" Rainbow muttered.

"So how did you get your Cutie Mark?" Scootaloo asked. "I keep trying to get one, but nothing works."

"I got mine when I discovered that I could move as fast and agile as the lightning," Firefly answered. "What are _you_ good at, Scootaloo?"

"My scooter," she answered, motioning to the vehicle strapped to her back.

"Then _that's_ where you should start," Firefly said, simply.

"Right; I'll do that," Scootaloo replied.

"Hey, Scootaloo," Rainbow said, softly. "Why don't you head on home? I know I said we'd hang out here for a bit, but it's been a while since I've actually seen my mom, and there's a few things I'd like to discuss with her. We can hang out at any time, so don't worry about that."

"That's alright," Scootaloo replied. "I'll see you around. It was nice meeting you, Firefly."

Rainbow Dash warmly smiled as she watched Scootaloo board her scooter and speed off toward her home.

_'Mother' actually doesn't sound that bad_, she thought.

"What's on your mind, Rainbow?" Firefly asked with concern.

"Not too much," Rainbow answered. "Just super proud of Scootaloo and still a bit overwhelmed by this business with Soarin."

"I understand. Let's walk around for a bit. I've always found that to be effective at sorting things out."

"Yeah, I'm fine with that."

With that, the two mares walked through town and carried their own conversation amid the friendly chatter of the Ponyville townsfolk around them.

"You're really fond of Scootaloo, aren't you?" Firefly asked.

"You bet I am," Rainbow answered. "I love all my friends, but there's just something unique about having her around. In a way, it's like I'm looking at myself."

"You and Fluttershy had that dynamic; your father and I always loved seeing it."

"Fluttershy and I _still_ have that dynamic, but now it's sort of spread to the rest of our friends."

"That's good; it always makes your father and I happy to hear good news."

"I feel the same way."

"Now what about this Soarin guy?"

"He's a bit of a goofball who decided to wait until yesterday to confess his love for me."

Firefly laughed.

"Yes, I know that. I meant, what are you going to do about him?"

"What do you think I should do?"

"Get to know him and think about whether or not he's the kind of guy you'd like to spend the rest of your life with."

"Friendship; it's all I wanted, it's what Soarin _initially_ wanted, and it's what Rarity suggested as a starting point."

"So you don't share this guy's feelings?"

"Not right now. I can consider him a friend, but you know me, Mom. I've never thought about love before; never wanted or needed it. The only future I've dreamed of is a spot with the Wonderbolts."

"You've never thought about anything except friendship or joining the Wonderbolts partly because of the drama you endured back in school. I can respect that much. However…" Firefly sighed. "I remember what you put in that letter, and…I have a lot to say about it."

"Let's hear it."

"I stand by my prior suggestion; make friends with him and see if he's the one for you, but allow me to extend that thought. This guy's got his heart on _you_; no one else. Yeah, it annoys you that he waited; your father did the same thing to me. He had a crush on me, which I detected, but he was always too flustered to say it until he decided to ask me out. That was our first date, and it was then that he was able to say 'I love you.'"

"I knew how he felt about me, so I waited, and that patience was rewarded. The premise between you and Soarin is the same; he openly loves you, and now he's waiting for you to act. You may not feel anything now, but give him a chance; go for it. There's no such thing as never needing love in your life. I gave your dad a chance, and it was the best decision I ever made."

"Mom…" Rainbow whispered. "Out of all the mares in Equestria, he fell for _me_—someone who's never said a _word_ about dating or romance or any of that nonsense. He's got _plenty_ of better choices than me; plenty of mares that would return his affection in a heartbeat. He may want me, but he has no idea of what he's getting himself into."

"I think he does; he knows who you are and what you're like, and he knows how you can act sometimes, yet he still fell in love with you. Why would he do that?"

"He said he fell in love with me because of what's in my heart."

"There you go. You have _no_ reason to question him or doubt yourself. Just as with me and your dad, the love started out one-sided, but we gave it a chance, took it slowly, and the rest is history. You and Soarin can have that, too. He sounds like he would be an amazing guy to get with and I can't help but think you two would complement each other well."

"Thanks for that, Mom."

With her mother's pep talk to go on, Rainbow Dash felt a lot better about Soarin's approach and agreed with the statements made in regards to it.

_Yeah, I can do this_, Rainbow thought. _I just have to go for it and at least give him a chance, like Mom said._

"Oh, would you look at that…" Firefly said, suddenly.

Rainbow looked around and stopped upon noticing the sight that caught her mother's attention. During the conversation, the two had made their way to the opposite end of town, finding themselves under the shadow of a tall oak tree.

"'Golden Oaks Library'," Firefly read from the sign by the door.

"Twilight's house," Rainbow added.

"Well, let's go say 'hi'!"

Before Rainbow Dash could do or say anything further, Firefly had already let herself in the library. With a sigh, Rainbow joined her mother.

"Hello! How can I help you?" Twilight warmly greeted.

"Just stopping by to say 'hello,'" Firefly answered.

"Hey, Rainbow!" Twilight said, happily. "How's everything going for you?"

"Everything's fine," Rainbow answered. "How about you?"

"Great," Twilight replied. "So who's the mystery mare here?"

"My name's Firefly," the "mystery mare" answered. "I'm Rainbow Dash's mother."

"It's such a pleasure to meet you," Twilight replied.

"It's an honor to meet _you_…" Firefly politely said as she bowed, "…Your Highness."

"I… Thanks," Twilight whispered, blushing slightly.

"Princess Twilight," Firefly began, "how has my daughter been treating you?"

"Same as always," Twilight laughed. "She's a good friend, even though she can be a bit of a pain at times."

"Hey, I'm still here, you know," Rainbow cut in.

"I know," Twilight laughed. "I'm just messing with you."

"Yeah, sure," Rainbow said, smiling.

"Actually, Rainbow, I'm glad you came by," Twilight said, suddenly.

"What for?" Rainbow asked.

"There's someone who dropped by not too long ago; someone who really wants to talk to you," Twilight answered. "He's right over there." She pointed to a bookshelf near the stairs and the visitor browsing it.

Rainbow Dash followed her friend's gesture to the bookshelf and sighed upon recognizing Twilight's latest patron.

"Soarin…" Rainbow whispered. After taking and releasing a deep breath, she approached the stallion distracted by Twilight's books and addressed him. "So you decided to visit me directly this time."

"Of course," the blue pegasus answered. "Just wanted to clear the air a bit." He turned around and sighed, prompting Rainbow Dash to take a few steps back.

"This is about yesterday, isn't it?" Rainbow asked, nervously.

"Yes," Soarin confirmed. "There are a few concerns I'd like to address."

"There's some stuff I'd like to say, too, but why don't you go first?"

"I'm sorry I sprung that on you…without any prior warning. I understand you felt a bit awkward; I had no intention of doing that to you. I'd also like to apologize for the whole 'pitiful Soarin' thing; the more I thought about it, the more it sounded like I was guilt-tripping you. Now…what do you want to say?"

"I accept your apology," Rainbow replied. "I did talk to my friends about you, and I even got my mom to come down and sort me out. Turns out, my dad had more or less the same problem as you; he admired my mom, but was afraid to talk to her. When he finally asked her out, he was able to confess everything. Unfortunately for you, I didn't get the hint the way Mom did. She waited for him, and she gave him a chance even though she didn't feel anything toward him."

"My parents gave it a chance and took things one step at a time, and all of that paid off; they got to know each other, my mom was able to share my dad's love, and they've been together since then. Mom said I should go for it, since your heart's only set on me, so that's what I'm going to do."

"I will be your friend for now, and I will allow you to get to know me better. I can't say that I love you just yet, but hey… My mom's under the impression that this can work. I've learned not to doubt her."

The room fell silent in the wake of Rainbow Dash's honesty, the only noticeable responses being a look of disbelief from Soarin and smiles from Twilight and Firefly.

"Rainbow Dash…" Soarin whispered, crying softly. "I thank you for this." He pulled her close and wept openly. "I almost felt like…giving up… I-I thought about what you told me and what I told you, and…I just didn't really know what else to do. Thank you for giving me a chance; I promise I won't let you down."

"Hey, no problem, Soarin. Your feelings toward me are sincere, so you have nothing to worry about. You're an awesome guy, and I can only imagine what it'd be like walking by your side, so to speak. Besides, I never abandon my friends."

"I love you…"

"I know."

The two held the warm embrace for a while longer as they thought about what their friendship could provide. When both were calm, they took a step back and smiled at each other. As they held the wordless exchange, Rainbow and Soarin forgave each other for any confusion or other negative feelings their previous words had caused between them.

With the air officially cleared, Rainbow Dash and Soarin rejoined Twilight and Firefly.

"Twilight, thank you for putting up with me," Soarin sighed in relief.

"Not a problem at all," Twilight replied.

Soarin flashed his trademark smile and took a glance at the room around him, but froze when his eyes met Firefly's.

"I— You—" he stammered.

"Wait, what?" Firefly asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling in confusion.

"I guess I should introduce you," Rainbow noted.

"No need to tell me," Firefly said, dismissively. "This is Soarin; the guy you mentioned to me in your letter as well as the conversation we had earlier."

"Yeah, that's right," Rainbow confirmed, chuckling softly.

She turned to Soarin and cleared her throat.

"Soarin," Rainbow began, "this is—"

_"FIREFLY!"_ Soarin exclaimed in a deafening shout rivaling the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"Ow…" Twilight whispered under the ringing in her ears. "This is a library, you know; a warning would've been nice, too."

"Sorry," Soarin whispered, sheepishly smiling like a foal.

"Wait a minute," Rainbow said in suspicion. "How do you know my mom?"

Soarin's eyes widened as his mind was fully blown by his friend's unexpected question.

"You mean she's—" he asked in shock as he gestured between Firefly and Rainbow Dash.

"Yes, she's my mother," Rainbow confirmed. "So how do you know her?"

"The reason I wanted to become a Wonderbolt," Soarin beamed, "was her."

"You don't say," Rainbow replied. "Same with me, except _I_ haven't made it in yet."

"You survived the academy, so you're not too far off," Firefly observed, the comment both a reminder and a bit of encouragement.

"Thanks, Mom," Rainbow said, smiling.

"Wait a minute," Twilight said, suddenly. "Rainbow Dash, your mother is a Wonderbolt?!"

"Former…" Firefly confessed, sadly. "I _was_ a Wonderbolt years ago, but not anymore."

"I'm so sorry," Twilight apologized. "What happened?"

"I was forced into an early retirement by a rather nasty accident I got into," Firefly explained. "I don't really remember exactly what happened; I just remember losing control in mid-flight, hitting the ground, and waking up in the hospital."

"Dad and I were there practically every day she was stuck in that hospital bed," Rainbow remembered. "Mom told me she was glad I wasn't there when she crashed; the doctors kept saying she was lucky to be alive. She had to stay in the hospital for like a year or something; it did _not_ feel right not having her at home. Then, after she healed, they told her that it would be best for her to quit the team. I hated them for that…"

"I remember hearing about your accident and I actually cried when you had left the team," Soarin added. "I remember wanting to visit you in the hospital, but my parents didn't feel too comfortable with that idea, so I sent you 'get well' cards instead."

"I have a big box full of the greeting cards and letters my fans sent me while I was recovering from that crash; as a matter of fact, I replied to some of them first chance I got," Firefly said, misty-eyed.

"Really?" Soarin asked. "So you still have the cards I sent you?"

"Yes," Firefly answered. "You were one of the fans I replied to, Soarin."

"That's right! I used to brag to my friends about being pen pals with you. I remember Spitfire giving me a hard time over it, then later telling me that she wanted on the team. She was competitive and not much for performing, but she looked into the Wonderbolts and liked what she saw, thanks to me."

Soarin and Firefly both laughed for a bit before the ex-Wonderbolt spoke.

"Ah, yeah, I remember hearing about that…"

"So how long were you with them before your accident?" Twilight asked.

"I got in right after getting married, but I took some time off when I had Rainbow, so figuring all of that in, I had just started my tenth year of active membership and my second year as captain," Firefly answered.

"You…were…_captain_?" Twilight asked, smiling brightly.

"Yes, and I was quite proud of it," Firefly smiled in response.

"We all were," Rainbow added. "But when Mom had that accident…she just wasn't the same."

"There's nothing that can be done about it now," Firefly calmly replied. "I wouldn't have even pulled through that without all the support I got."

"Just imagine if I _had_ been able to visit you in the hospital," Soarin mused. "Rainbow and I would've likely met each other back then."

"That would've been interesting," Rainbow laughed. "We'd have already been friends by now."

"Actually…you two _did_ meet once," Firefly said, "but it wasn't a friendly meeting, as I recall."

"Wait… Huh?" Rainbow muttered, taking a step back.

"I'm kind of curious, as well," Soarin added.

"Easiest way would be to show you," Firefly noted. "I just can't believe I didn't pick up on it when I read Rainbow's letter…" she whispered to herself.

"You have a picture or something?" Rainbow asked.

"The exact picture's at home, but I can at least recreate it," Firefly answered.

"This should be interesting…" Rainbow sighed.

"Soarin, Dash, switch places with each other," Firefly commanded. "You'll see why I'm doing this in a moment."

Without a word, the two younger pegasi followed the odd request, putting Soarin directly in front of Firefly and Rainbow Dash directly in front of Twilight.

"Now what?" Rainbow asked.

"Step away from each other, just a bit."

They obeyed and looked back at Firefly.

"Perfect," she said. "Now…" She stepped between Rainbow and Soarin and faced Twilight. "…imagine that Twilight's a camera and just stare straight at her; Twilight, you stand in front of me."

"Wait a minute…" Twilight replied. "What?"

Any attempt to stifle a laugh failed Rainbow Dash as a snicker turned into a torrent of laughter.

"Baa ha ha ha…!" Rainbow laughed. "I know Twilight likes trying new things, but this is just too much!"

"Ha ha, very funny, Rainbow Dash," Twilight deadpanned. "Sparing the jokes about how I'm 'best camera' now, can we move this along?"

"This…feels familiar," Soarin noted.

"Starting to come back to you?" Firefly asked.

"Yeah," Soarin calmly answered.

"Allow me to fill in the blanks," Firefly offered, smiling. "The Wonderbolts were having a Family Day event, so a lot of us had loved ones there. Given the expected turn-out, we held the festivities at Canterlot Castle. We had our performance, fun and games for the kids, a chance to mingle with everyone, and so on; best day of the year for many of us."

"Rainbow and I were standing around and waiting for my husband to return from the concession stand. Rainbow wanted a picture so we went over to do that. As we waited for the photographer to show up, one of my teenage fans came over and asked for a picture. I was just about to reply when I heard a tiny voice saying, 'Back off! I was here first!'"

"I told Rainbow to shape up or I'd have her dad take her home. She knew not to test me, so she conceded to my invitation for all three of us to be in the picture."

"And after I got the picture done, you signed it and gave me a hug, and my parents never saw me any happier than after I met you," Soarin added in conclusion. "As soon as I got home, my parents framed that picture for me, and it's been one of my most prized possessions."

"That's… Wow…" Rainbow whispered.

"Who would've guessed that a bad-tempered filly I saw at a Wonderbolt airshow thirteen years ago would later wind up being the mare I love?" Soarin asked, slowly looking over to Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah, funny how that works," Rainbow answered, meeting Soarin's gaze.

"This is really scary…"

"Yeah…"

"And while that was happening, I had just started my magic studies," Twilight mused. "Where did the time go?"

"I know what you mean," Firefly replied. "You two…" She nudged Rainbow Dash and Soarin. "…have _a lot_ of catching up to do. I look forward to hearing how things turn out."

"We'll…keep you updated," Rainbow laughed.

"I wish you luck," Firefly said. "If you'll pardon me, I should be heading back to Cloudsdale. Take care of yourselves and let me know if you have any concerns."

With a heartfelt exchange of farewells, Firefly departed the library and headed home.


	4. Aftermath of a Reunion

With the stunning revelation of their meeting in the past weighing heavily on their hearts and minds, Rainbow Dash and Soarin stared at each other silently, neither one knowing what to say. As the two stood there, virtually frozen in time, both had a new set of questions for the other beyond any prior questions.

While that scene played out, Twilight gazed at the two pegasi with a new sense of reverence and intrigue. Just like Rainbow Dash and Soarin, Twilight had some questions of her own, except hers were mostly intended for her Wonderbolt-admiring friend. Although now, a new concern arose; there was a nervous tension in the air, and the silence wasn't really helping.

"Excuse me, you two," Twilight politely called out.

"Yeah, Twilight?" Soarin asked.

"How does it feel knowing you and Rainbow Dash have this sort of…connection?"

"Mind-blowing…"

"Yeah," Rainbow agreed. "Just like that day we found out I caused you and the others to get your Cutie Marks; we formed a special connection and didn't realize it until years later."

"Whoa… That's cool…" Soarin beamed.

"So…thirteen years, huh?" Rainbow asked. "What have you been up to in that time?"

"I've done a lot," Soarin answered. "A lot of really cool stuff…and some stuff I'd…rather forget… How about you?"

"A lot of ups and downs…" Rainbow confessed. "I got by with my parents and a couple friends pretty well, but there's also a _load_ of stuff I'd like to forget."

"I see…"

"Friends don't keep secrets, Soarin; as bad as some of those memories were…I can still tell you, as long as you don't mind sharing your secrets with me."

"Very well."

"Hey," Twilight cut in, "going off of what Rainbow said, don't be a stranger. While there might be things you'd like to keep to yourself or between each other, you've got plenty of friends you can turn to for advice. My door is always open if you're ever around and you've got something weighing you down."

"Thank you for that, Twilight," Soarin replied, happily drawing the librarian into a warm hug of gratitude. "I've actually come to depend on my teammates in the same way, almost like one big family."

"Twilight and the others have been like that for me," Rainbow admitted. "She's served as peace-keeper, advisor, mentor, and a lot of other things." She joined the embrace between Soarin and Twilight. "They've all kept me on track, and I'd be seriously lost without them. As much as I argue or complain, I can't imagine going even just a day without my friends backing me."

"Rainbow…" Twilight whispered, crying softly. "Thank you… You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that."

"I just want you to know how much I love and appreciate you for all the stress you put up with."

"Rainbow, that's really sweet of you," Soarin whispered, smiling.

Rainbow Dash returned the smile, and she, Soarin, and Twilight held their heartfelt embrace for a while longer, wanting to take in as much of the love and gratitude as they could. With the bond of friendship—and of family—between them secured, they broke the embrace.

"Rainbow Dash, thank you for that," Twilight said, happily. "I feel so much better now."

"Any time!" Rainbow declared. "Just say the word!"

"I should also tell you that I'm…incredibly proud of you for the way you've handled this. I am still here if you need to talk, and I'm also happy to give you whatever advice I can."

"Thanks, Twilight."

The alicorn smiled in response to the warmth filling her home before her mind lit up with a new discussion topic.

"Hey, Rainbow, I was wondering about something."

"Oh? What?"

"What's it like having a Wonderbolt captain as your mother?"

"It's awesome; the kids at school were always so jealous of me. Although, having to leave the team did take the wind out of Mom's sails. She smiled and told Dad and I how happy she was to have us around, but not being able to wear that flight suit anymore changed her more than she'll likely let on."

"Oh?"

"You could talk to her about it, but the truth of the matter… She was broken after that accident…in more ways than one."

"I caught that; she was upset about having to retire, but she was also happy to be alive."

"You didn't see her the way I did, Twilight. My dad and I had to step up and manage the housework ourselves, and most of the time, I was stuck taking care of Mom while Dad was at work. Meanwhile, Dad had to constantly remind her to take things slowly. I saw the physical pain she was in, and that destroyed me, especially when she smiled and tried to tell me that everything was fine. It hurt that she lied to me like that!"

During the dark turn in the exchange, Rainbow Dash had backed Twilight against the library's front door.

"I'm very sorry, Rainbow," Twilight whimpered.

"Rainbow, please calm down," Soarin begged.

"I'm sorry," Rainbow whispered. After wiping her eyes, she directed her answer to Twilight's prior question down a lighter path. "As I said before, I was proud of Mom. Dad and I basically got free tickets to all of their shows, though I think that may have just been Mom pulling some strings for us. I didn't get to go to every single show Mom was in, but she always told us about them as soon as she got home, so it was like we were there, anyway."

"That's why I dreamed of joining the Wonderbolts. I wanted to be able to fly high and potentially inspire others, just as my mom inspired me. When she had to retire, things just didn't feel right. That's when I started pushing myself harder than before. I wanted to continue the legacy my mom had started, and now, I am _so_ close, it isn't even funny."

"When my mom was able to, she worked with me, and even tested me through races and stuff. When I was able to set out on my own, I did just that. I moved here to Ponyville and got into weather management, and then Twilight showed up, and things went from there."

Twilight smiled proudly at all the memories her time in Ponyville had created.

"I wouldn't mind hearing about all of that sometime," Soarin said, calmly. "It'll be nice hearing it from you rather than from the headlines." He then burst out laughing.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight returned Soarin's enthusiastic laughter with a wave of their own laughter. A while later, the room fell silent again, allowing Rainbow to continue.

"I still dream of joining the Wonderbolts, and I can't wait to see my parents' faces when I get to wear the uniform."

"As I said before, keep up what you're doing, and you'll get there for sure," Soarin proudly replied.

"What do I do until then?"

"Do what you've been doing the whole time I've known you," Twilight answered with a smirk. "Just keep being your loyal stunt-flying self."

"I'll do that," Rainbow laughed. "Just be careful what you wish for."

"Thanks for the warning," Soarin joked.

"Well," Twilight began, "you heard your mother, Rainbow. You two have a lot of lost time to make up, and I wouldn't be surprised if she starts watching her mailbox like a hawk for any letters from you."

"She would…" Rainbow noted, smiling.

"Well, you've got plenty to talk about," Twilight observed. "There's the stuff you two have done in the thirteen years you've been apart, you can share whatever hopes and dreams you may have, you can vent any hidden frustration you may have…" She glared at Rainbow. "_…appropriately…_" She switched to a smile. "You get the idea."

"Definitely," Soarin agreed, knowing exactly what he wanted to discuss.

"Yeah, sure," Rainbow added, "and we've got plenty of time to catch up."

"True," Twilight noted, "but wouldn't you prefer someplace quiet to go and hang out or talk; somewhere just the two of you can go? No doubt there are things that you wouldn't want someone else—not even me—to overhear."

Rainbow wracked her brain for a response, completely missing Twilight's hint. Soarin, on the other hand, was surprisingly not anywhere as clueless.

"Yeah," he said. "Rainbow, how'd you like to walk with me for a bit? I wouldn't mind a personal tour of Ponyville, and I could stand to keep my hooves on the ground for a change." He laughed as "Drill Sergeant Mode" Spitfire filled his mind.

"I don't know…" Rainbow replied, _still_ missing Twilight's hint. "Soarin, don't you have an airshow or something you need to get ready for? I mean, it's getting kind of late, and you don't want Spitfire flipping out or something."

"Rainbow," Soarin answered, trying not to laugh, "I'm all done for today, and it isn't even that late; I'm just killing time by being here. And as far as Spitfire's concerned, she knows about me coming to visit you. My exact words: 'Spitfire, I'm flying down to Ponyville for a bit to speak to Rainbow Dash. Is that alright?' Her exact response: 'Yeah, that's cool. Just make sure to come back at a decent hour.' Seriously, I'm good for it; I made sure to check my schedule and everything."

"Well, in that case, sure," Rainbow answered, casting a side glance back toward Twilight, "since _she's_ so eager for us to _leave_."

"Took you long enough to catch on, Captain Oblivious," Twilight smirked. "Enjoy your walk, you two."

"Don't worry," Soarin replied. "We will."

As Twilight stepped away from the door, Rainbow Dash and Soarin smiled at one another for a bit before Soarin began to chuckle softly. One playful shove from Rainbow Dash later and Soarin's chuckling increased. With a playful shove of his own, Soarin had Rainbow Dash giggling just as he was.

Caught up in their own merriment, Rainbow Dash and Soarin headed for the door. Twilight, unsure of how to properly respond to the display, silently opened the door with a bit of her magic, allowing her friends to leave.

* * *

><p>Ponyville Park is recognized by all the town's inhabitants as the ideal place to go for anyone wishing to enjoy the weather, have a picnic with loved ones, or just laugh and hang out with friends. On a hill overlooking the playground, two friends did just that.<p>

Rainbow Dash and Soarin smiled as they watched the activity of other ponies around them. Occasionally, Rainbow would take a quick peek at the sky or fly around a bit, but she mostly enjoyed the walk she and Soarin had just taken. Wanting a place to relax and talk about whatever, they had chosen to visit the park at Rainbow's request.

"So…" Rainbow said, looking over to Soarin. "Anything in particular you'd like to know about me? Aside from me being one of Equestria's greatest heroes and future Wonderbolt, of course."

"To tell you the truth," Soarin answered, "I'd like to know about your past. I want to know how the daughter of a Wonderbolt entertained herself."

Rainbow sighed and shifted her gaze between Soarin and the sky.

"You don't have to tell me the rough parts, Rainbow. There's no rush on that. Just tell me the parts you enjoyed; tell me about your family and your friends, or tell me about some of your favorite Wonderbolt memories. I'd like to know about the stuff that made you happy," Soarin calmly added.

Rainbow met Soarin's friendly gaze with a warm smile of her own.

"Those green eyes of yours could probably make Princess Celestia spill her deepest secrets," Rainbow quipped. "Not to mention that smile…"

Soarin grinned a bit before making a reply.

"Thanks, Rainbow. It's good to know that my charm is at such a high level; I just hope they don't start to consider me a threat to national security."

Soarin's joke elicited a torrent of laughter from Rainbow Dash. As the Wonderbolt admired his own quick wit, his friend's laughter quickly overwhelmed him. Just as in the library, both Rainbow Dash and Soarin found themselves caught in a hurricane of their own laughter.

Naturally, such a spectacle doesn't go unnoticed, especially when the epicenter of said hurricane consists of the local show-off and a Wonderbolt. Among the responses directed their way, which ranged from "they're crazy" to "how cute," there were those who couldn't help but join in the outburst. The odd scene lasted a few minutes until Rainbow Dash and Soarin were alone and fighting for breath.

"Threat to national security…" Rainbow wheezed. "I'll have to remember that one."

"Now that we've got _that_ out of system," Soarin began, "I can say what I meant to say before."

"And that is…?"

"Your eyes; they're so pretty. What color are they? Pink? Rose? They say that you can learn a lot about someone by looking into their eyes. I look into your eyes, and I see…a sense of peace…but I can also see a lot of pain…from time long passed."

"Thanks for the compliment, Soarin…" Rainbow softly replied as she teared up. "My eyes are sort of a magenta color—my dad's eyes—and there _is_ a lot of pain in my past. The only reason I was ever at peace back then was because my parents always stuck by me, and there was also Fluttershy. Moving to Ponyville was the best thing for me because I was able to reconnect with Fluttershy and make a lot of new friends; I was able to make a fresh start with myself."

"Come here, Rainbow," Soarin softly commanded, holding his hooves out in open invitation.

After staring at Soarin for a bit, Rainbow Dash accepted the invitation. Without missing a beat, Rainbow dove into the welcoming embrace and wept openly. As she cried, she remembered all the times she was teased in school or falsely accused of lying or fighting or something else; she remembered the drama that had caused.

"You got to hear a bit of it, earlier," Rainbow said. "After my mom had her accident, everything had changed. She goes from being away from home a lot to being stuck at home and not being able to do much. As time passed, she would get more and more ambitious; she'd try to run or fly before she was barely able to walk."

"It was painful having to watch that, and it was painful to hear my mom cry; she always tried to stay strong…for me. My dad could see that, as well; he could see that the major reason Mom pushed herself as hard as she did wasn't just because of her independent nature—it was so she could take care of me. When she was finally able to fly again, that was when she started training me and testing me. She was never able to rejoin the Wonderbolts, but having her as a coach and personal trainer was an acceptable substitute."

"I love my mom so much… She's been through too much for the sake of her family, but that's just how she is; wife and mother first, and Wonderbolt second. Dad once said that her loyalty to her friends—the same sense of loyalty that I live by—was one of the reasons he fell in love with her. The way he put it was that she's beautiful on the inside as well as the outside, and I totally agree with that."

"Being the daughter of a Wonderbolt was awesome, just as I said before. I bragged about it constantly, which got everyone rather annoyed with me. There were many that expected me to be just as great, if not better, but there were also many that doubted me. I got a lot of my talent from my mom, and I was actually labeled a copycat for that."

"The day I got my Cutie Mark will be a day that I'll never forget. It all happened at Summer Flight Camp; if I'm not mistaken, it was around the time we had bumped into each other that _one_ time."

"You already had your Cutie Mark when I saw you that day," Soarin recalled, releasing Rainbow from the comforting embrace the two shared, "so this is something that happened before our chance encounter." He made himself comfortable in the grass. "You've got my attention, Rainbow; go right ahead."

"It started as a normal day; I got up and had some morning lessons. After that, we had some free time; I used that time to just fly around and stuff. Then, I noticed Fluttershy was practicing something; I didn't catch all of it, but apparently, it was yet another epic fail for her. Suddenly, I hear voices below, and I get curious. I look down, and there's Fluttershy being harassed by a couple of the same creeps that bothered me."

"I live by the rule that if you mess with my friends, you mess with me. I wasn't about to just hang back and let Fluttershy get picked on, so I swooped down and told them to leave her alone. They weren't afraid, but neither was I. They ended up challenging me to a race; they were hoping to shut me up and humiliate me. It didn't work."

"Let me guess," Soarin smirked, "you flew circles around them."

"They certainly learned not to mess with me," Rainbow laughed. "Actually, after the race started, one of them tried to knock me off-course. I didn't take too kindly to that, so I got my wings going as fast as I could, and soon, I'm going faster than I had ever flown before, but I was _far_ from done. I keep going, and suddenly, it feels like the wind is trying to restrain me, and I can literally _see_ the air resistance around me. That was the first time I did the sonic rainboom, and that was when I had truly discovered my need for speed and I _loved_ it."

"The sonic rainboom earned me my Cutie Mark, it won me that race, and it got a lot of attention directed my way. Later that day, I noticed that Fluttershy had also got her Cutie Mark. We both wrote home about it and had our own little celebration. My parents were so proud of me because I did so much; I stood up for Fluttershy, I made a legend come true, and I had my Cutie Mark."

"So you were more or less on top of the world," Soarin noted.

"Yep," Rainbow replied. "If anything, it stopped the 'copycat' taunts, and it had made me into a living legend."

"The day I got my Cutie Mark was _far_ from legendary," Soarin confessed, "but it was still memorable."

"What happened?"

"I was hanging out with Spitfire and some other friends; just killing time, really. I was trying to mimic a Wonderbolt trick I had just saw, and possibly put my own spin on it. Long story short: I didn't replicate that trick, but I did manage to create a rather nasty lightning storm to the dismay of everyone in the area." He laughed at the memory. "That bright idea earned me my Cutie Mark, and there was much rejoicing…by my family, at least." He laughed again. "My friends didn't really like me for celebrating their potential ends. 'Oh, hey, Soarin, nice Cutie Mark. Too bad we're all _dead_ now!'"

"I'll bet Spitfire never let you live that down," Rainbow laughed.

"You'd win that bet," Soarin replied. "Whenever I'm asked a Cutie Mark question, Spitfire likes to jump in and mention how I earned mine by causing a lightning storm. The look on her face is _priceless…_"

"So what did you do after getting that picture with my mom?"

"I just kept focusing on getting good enough to join the Wonderbolts. As you might expect, I was highly athletic, but not necessarily super competitive; that was Spitfire. I mostly ran track and lifted weights; actually made it to being captain of the varsity track team. But as much as I worked to keep myself in good physical condition, I also kept my social life going."

"I stuck by my friends, and did my best to keep up a good reputation; I wasn't _the_ guy everyone idolized, but I did have my friends, and I was OK with that. Unfortunately, as we all finished school, everyone except Spitfire moved away, and we eventually lost contact with each other."

"Spitfire and I got into the Wonderbolt academy, and we passed with flying colors. We both made it in, and they ended up making Spitfire the captain after the last guy retired."

"My mom's replacement," Rainbow noted, "Solar Flare—I liked that guy, actually. He started the same time Mom did, but he always seemed to get the short end of the deal. He was usually the last one to get promoted, and he wasn't even _considered_ for the captain's seat. That guy worked his tail off to give the fans a good show; sometimes, he'd dedicate a performance to someone he knew, and he was no stranger to improvising."

"I have a picture of him," Soarin smiled, "signed, of course."

"Who doesn't?" Rainbow laughed. "He would sometimes offer ideas for a new show, whether they were his, or something a fan wanted to see. When my mom retired, Solar was her first pick for the captain's seat. The first show he led was dedicated to Mom as thanks for being such a great friend and leader."

"Spitfire's a good _leader_, but she isn't necessarily a good _captain_; you've seen that yourself. Sometimes, that desire to be the best clouds her judgment, like with Lightning Dust. That was embarrassing… Your mother was never that blind, and neither was Solar."

"Mom didn't think Spitfire would last very long as captain. She runs the team well, but that 'blindness' and clouded judgment you mentioned has always been one of her major flaws; I didn't think it was _that_ bad, but Mom did. She also thinks Spitfire has a tendency to get a little _too_ arrogant."

"Yikes! Remind me never to let those two meet…"

"Yeah…"

"So how did you occupy yourself?"

"After I got my Cutie Mark, I was living the dream, or so I thought. I ended up getting lazy and careless, and my bragging got out of control, but I was way to proud to admit that. Just as fast as my fame hit me, it disappeared. I was constantly being asked about the sonic rainboom, but when I couldn't repeat it, everyone started to turn on me."

"They accused me of faking the whole thing, and they even went as far as suggesting my mom set the whole thing up. I was desperate to prove them all wrong; I was determined to do another rainboom, no matter what it took. I became…almost suicidal, for lack of a better term."

"It was this new level of recklessness that caused them to start calling me things like 'attention seeker' or 'Wonderbolt reject'…" Rainbow took a moment to wipe tears from her eyes. "I was viewed as so much of a threat and a delinquent, that I was kicked out of Summer Flight Camp. My parents were _furious_."

"The next year, my parents put me through Junior Speedsters Flight Camp. I met a griffin named Gilda, and she became my only real friend there. I no longer associate with Gilda; she and I parted ways after Junior Speedsters, and she randomly showed up in Ponyville to catch up, but she was no longer the kind of friend I wanted. She treated everyone like dirt, when they were just trying to be nice."

"After  
>I got out of Junior Speedsters, I just focused on finishing school. Mom's accident caught us off-guard. Some of the kids that taunted me had the nerve to…make fun of her. I got into <em>multiple<em> fights over it, but as Mom got better, so did I."

"I finished school, moved to Ponyville, and started from scratch. With the exception of Fluttershy, I had some new friends, a new home, and a new life. I got comfortable with the way things were here, but I never forgot my parents. Sometimes, I'd fly to Cloudsdale for the weekend, and the three of us would go watch the Wonderbolts perform or something."

"Things were calm, for the most part, but then Twilight showed up, and we got the Elements of Harmony. That was when we dealt with Nightmare Moon. It just happened to be the Summer Sun Celebration, and Twilight was sent to check on the preparations. She knew about Nightmare Moon, and it was a good thing she did, because otherwise, who knows where Princess Luna would be?"

"After that, we had accepted the hero role. We dealt with Discord, helped clear the changeling invasion in Canterlot, helped restore the Crystal Empire, and did some other cool stuff. Pretty much all that's left is my nomination into the Wonderbolts."

"That's awesome," Soarin noted. "No doubt your parents are proud of you. I know that my parents are proud of me." He stood up and looked toward the sky.

"My parents are proud," Rainbow agreed. "I just wonder what Dad'll say when Mom tells him about you. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up getting a letter or a visit from Dad."

"Well, keep in touch, Rainbow; with them _and_ with me." He smiled at Rainbow Dash. "I should get going; don't want Spitfire to worry."

"Right; take care of yourself."

"You, too. Our next shows are in Manehattan, so it might be a while before you and I see each other again, but I _will_ write to you. Any time you'd like to hang out or something, just let me know."

"Definitely! I'll be looking forward to hearing from you and hanging out again, for sure. Good luck out there!"

After the two exchanged a quick hug, Soarin was in the sky and headed for Canterlot. As Rainbow Dash watched him leave, she looked ahead to when she would see him again. When Soarin was fully out of sight, Rainbow returned home.


	5. Soarin Through Manehattan

Canterlot's Royal Windsong Hotel has always had a reputation as the city's liveliest hotel, perfect for business trips and personal vacations alike. Given the Royal Windsong's status as a five-star hotel, this was to be expected; top-of-the-line room service, dining arrangements befitting royalty, recreational facilities, and other such luxuries were the norm.

As such, the hotel's main visitors were those who basked in life at the top. Any big name personality passing through Canterlot made it their top concern to book a reservation there; said appearances always attracted a crowd of adoring fans, especially when they included icons such as pop music sensation Sapphire Shores or top travel enthusiast Trenderhoof.

But musicians, models, critics, and the like aren't the only anticipated guests; athletes will also make a stop at the hotel from time to time. This just happened to be one of those times. Over the past few days, the Royal Windsong found itself serving as the temporary residence of Equestria's ace flying squad, the Wonderbolts, while they entertained the citizens of Canterlot with their high-level speed and acrobatics.

With all the performances and press conferences behind them, the Wonderbolts made the most of their last day in Canterlot for a while. Some socialized with fans or teammates, some went sightseeing, some celebrated in their own way, while others kept to themselves in the quiet of their hotel rooms. One Wonderbolt did just that, lost in their own thoughts.

As Spitfire laid on her bed, pillow clutched to her chest, she stared blankly at the ceiling and thought about so many things. At the forefront of the Wonderbolt captain's mind was her teammate and childhood friend, Soarin, particularly his antics over the past couple months.

Soarin was a silly guy all the way through, but he _did_ have the ability to be serious when the time called for it. One thing Soarin _wasn't_ particularly known for, however, was fear, yet over the past couple months, Soarin had shown more fear than he had shown in his entire life, or at least the part of it that Spitfire knew.

"So much anxiety, yet you _still_ managed to do the one thing I have no real desire to do, myself," Spitfire muttered.

"And that is…?" asked a lighthearted male voice.

At the sound of the unexpected response, Spitfire sat up in such a hurry, she accidentally threw herself out of bed. Embarrassed with herself for such a misstep, she stood up, cleared her throat, and looked toward the visitor.

"Soarin!" Spitfire exclaimed. "Don't you know not to sneak up on ponies?"

Soarin chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?" Spitfire asked.

"I thought _I_ was supposed to be the clumsy one," Soarin joked.

Soarin's comment was met with a glare from Spitfire.

"Oh, come on, you know I'm only messing around."

Spitfire's expression changed to a mischievous smile.

"So, you plan on avoiding us until morning, or were you hoping t— Oof!"

Soarin shook his head to recover from the interruption, and after seeing the sly smirk on his friend's face, he figured out what had just happened. Picking up the pillow that had just been used as a projectile, Soarin returned Spitfire's sly smirk with one of his own.

"You do realize that this means war, right?"

"Bring it."

Upon request, Soarin threw the pillow back the way it came…only to have his missile dodged. Before Soarin could acquire another pillow, he was pinned to the ground.

"_This_ brings back some memories," Spitfire noted, smiling.

"Sure does," Soarin agreed. "So when do you plan on answering my question from before?"

Spitfire stood up and helped her friend to his feet before turning away.

"Close the door," she requested as she went to retrieve the pillow.

As Soarin answered his friend's request, he thought about the path the day had led him on. When Soarin had turned around, he found Spitfire making her bed. Seeing the act of housekeeping made the stallion smile.

"How long have you been…watching me?" Spitfire asked.

"Oh, not too long. I just got back, actually; wanted to check in with you, but you were nowhere to be found. I heard you were up here, so…here I am," Soarin explained. "So why are you up here by yourself, Spitfire? Something wrong?"

"I was thinking about you," Spitfire sighed. "I know I keep teasing you and stuff, but I'm really worried, you know. You just…changed without any sort of warning. This stuff with Rainbow Dash just came out of nowhere."

"I'm sorry…"

"No need to apologize; it was bound to happen at some point. You're not the first, and you won't be the last."

"Thanks, Spits. Now tell me what you were playing at before. I managed to do something that you have no desire for… Enlighten me."

"Ah, Soar… What I said wasn't meant to offend you or whatever. You've heard me say it before; I like seeing others find happiness, as you have with Rainbow Dash. It's just…I have no desire to get with anyone, myself. Call me unusual for feeling that way, if you want; I've always felt content with flying solo."

"Yeah… I was the main one who talked about wanting a family, while you balked at the idea of settling down. You're a free spirit; we all respect that about you."

"Thank you, Soar. You ever wonder what the rest of our little gang is up to?"

"No doubt they've got themselves settled into whatever life they wanted, just like us."

"You ever wish you could…track them down or something?"

"Organize a reunion? Sure! It'd be great to catch up. I miss them just as much as you do, Spits. Was there any particular reason why you brought this up?"

"Just curious, I guess. The…" Spitfire breathed a quick sigh and closed her eyes. "The thought that…we've all changed, and the fact that the little family we had formed…fell apart…" Spitfire's voice shook and her eyes watered. "I want you to be happy, Soarin, but I don't want to lose you like we…lost the others. You've been like a brother to me. I love you. You've…stuck by me in ways that no one else has."

"Spitfire…" Soarin's eyes watered as he drew his friend into a hug. "I didn't like seeing them go, either. The thing is…even though we're all miles apart, we're still a family, in a manner of speaking. You know that as well as I do, Spitfire."

"I know…" Spitfire sobbed. "I know that they're still in our hearts, Soarin, but you remember how things were for me back then."

"I remember. You barely told us about your family, and for the longest time, we never understood why. You weren't always the most cheerful girl around, but we never thought to question that until you started viewing _us_ as your real family or making comments about running away from home… You worried us."

"When you live the kind of childhood I lived, you end up with all sorts of issues. You remember how competitive I was back then, and you see how I am now. I am the way that I am because it gave me a release. Competition and my friendships with you and the others allowed me to take my mind off of…'home'."

"Then you gave the Wonderbolts a chance, and we both made it through the academy. I distinctly remember you more or less flaunting your promotion to captain like a trophy. After what you went through to get there, I can agree that you earned it, but you've had a history of…abusing your power."

"Yeah… I'm not perfect…" Spitfire sighed.

"But you keep us in shape, so it's not the end of the world," Soarin noted.

The two friends broke their embrace and stared at each other for a while.

"So how'd it go with Rainbow Dash?" Spitfire asked, suddenly.

"Fantastic," Soarin beamed. "I went down with a heavy heart, but I knew what I wanted to say. I took time to address a few concerns about…before, then Rainbow said some stuff; some of it, I didn't expect to hear. She had an easier time talking about…us…thanks to some advice from her friends and a bold suggestion from her mother."

"She said she'd give the friendship thing a chance, and see where it went. I was overwhelmed; that was the thing I wasn't expecting to hear. We sat in the Ponyville library and caught up on a few things, and I met someone I hadn't seen in _years_."

Spitfire looked at her friend like he had lost his mind, prompting him to elaborate.

"Rainbow Dash's mother, Firefly. She came down to talk to Dash about me, and as soon as I saw her standing there, I lost it; learning that Firefly was Rainbow Dash's mother blew my mind completely. Naturally, it was like I was reconnecting with an old friend."

"Firefly…" Spitfire whispered. "She was the Wonderbolt you got your picture taken with, right? She was the main one you talked about, _especially_ after you started writing to her."

"It gets better," Soarin beamed. "Me, Dash, Twilight, and Firefly were all talking about some things from back then, and it turns out, the day I got that picture with Firefly was the first time Dash and I saw each other. Dash and I were both confused, but Firefly was able to sort of…take us back and recreate the scene. I wasn't able to formally introduce myself to Dash back then, so that detail had essentially faded from my mind. Long story short, Rainbow Dash and I now have thirteen years' worth of stuff to catch up on."

Spitfire could only stare at her friend as though he were an alien.

"Hello?" Soarin asked. "Has Spitfire stopped working?"

"You have a crush on your idol's daughter," Spitfire noted.

"Yeah, who knew?" Soarin laughed. "Anyway, after all of that, Firefly left, so Dash and I just talked with Twilight for a bit, then Dash and I went to the park for a while, then I came back here. She'll be expecting some mail from me, and I don't plan to disappoint her."

"Right."

The two made a silent agreement to never leave each other as they left Spitfire's room. As they made their way past the rooms of some of their teammates, Spitfire and Soarin smiled at each other as they remembered their younger days, and happily looked ahead to the future.

Upon reaching the hotel lobby, Spitfire felt the need to go monitor the activity of her subordinates, while Soarin was suddenly hungry. After a pleasant dinner, Soarin returned to his room, got a shower, packed his belongings, and flopped onto his bed.

"What a day," he sighed in contentment.

Having all the weight from before lifted from his heart, Soarin closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, his mind filled with dreams of Manehattan…and Rainbow Dash.

* * *

><p>The next day began with a blurred frenzy, just like every other time the Wonderbolts had to head off to someplace new first thing in the morning. Having to wake up at the crack of dawn was naturally very draining, but the Wonderbolts were used to it…mostly. Amid much complaining, Spitfire had corralled her team and confirmed that they were all there. Having all present business in Canterlot finished, the team checked out of the hotel and boarded the train to Manehattan.<p>

As the train sped down the tracks, the Wonderbolts went to their own devices. Some slept, some looked out a window, and some socialized in some fashion, save for one who preferred to just enjoy the train ride in silence.

Soarin smiled as he watched his teammates' antics, secretly amused by the notion that something as basic as a train ride could make someone act like a kid. But beyond happiness toward his team and the anticipation of the upcoming airshows, Soarin also had his thoughts on his…friend…Rainbow Dash.

_Maybe I'll surprise her with a souvenir_, he thought. _Nothing too flashy, though; don't want her to get the wrong idea._

Soarin put that thought aside for the moment as he now focused on what Manehattan would bring. He was well aware of the city's atmosphere, especially in the way of tourism, but every visit to a particular location always granted a new experience and a new set of memories. He breathed a calming sigh as Manehattan's train station came into view.

"We're here!" Spitfire announced. "No time to waste; make sure you have everything and let's go."

Just like clockwork, the Wonderbolts gathered themselves and their things, and left the train station. With the morning sun shining down on them all, Spitfire and company made the short walk to their home away from home: Manefair Hotel. After checking in, the mob of pegasi dispersed as needed.

_I'm on the third floor_, Soarin mentally noted as he headed for the nearest elevator. _That means I get a pretty sweet view of the Manehattan skyline._

Not even the unknown entity beyond Celestia and Luna knew what Soarin was thinking as he rode the elevator. Nervously glancing around him, Soarin made some mental notes of his schedule and what he could do to entertain himself in his "off hours," or at least whatever grace period Spitfire granted the team.

_Third floor_, Soarin thought as he stepped off the elevator. After inhaling the scent of the hotel air, the Wonderbolt pulled out his room key, and started walking. _Room 308_, he noted as he scanned the doors for the correct number.

After reaching his room, Soarin opened the door, walked in, placed his suitcase by the window, and sat on the bed. No doubt about it; he was in pretty high spirits, and not just because he would get to show off the Skyward Strike again. Manehattan was one of a few places in Equestria that was an outspoken tourist trap, and he intended on making the most of it.

_Let's see… I could catch a show on Bridleway, visit Lady Liberty, check out the gift shops, wander aimlessly around town by land or by air—_

Soarin's sightseeing brainstorm was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in," he invited, standing up to meet the visitor.

"So you're up here, too, eh?" the stallion, a fellow Wonderbolt, asked.

"Yeah," Soarin answered. "So what room did they give you, Maelstrom?"

"312; I was on my way there, but I noticed your door was open, so I decided to drop in and say 'hi.'"

"It's cool. Any word from Spitfire as far as our schedule for today is concerned?"

"Today's performance is at noon, and there's a press conference right after it. The kicker with that is Spitfire wanting us to converge at the stadium by 11:30 so we can get set up and everything."

"Lovely…"

"Hey, it's not _all_ bad; sure, we've got a long day ahead, but we have that welcome dinner to look forward to."

"Yeah, that's true."

"So you plan on doing that one trick of yours again? That…Skyward Strike?"

"I might… Do you have anything special planned? Any secret techniques you've been waiting to spring on us all?"

"As a matter of fact, I do; been working on the little details, but I'd say the Maelstrom Pulse is finally ready for its grand debut."

"Sounds exciting."

"I think the crowd'll love it. But in all honesty, I don't think _anything_ can hold a candle to your Skyward Strike. You're crazier than _I_ am, man! I didn't think something like that was even possible!"

"My 'craziness' or my trick?"

"Both!"

The two Wonderbolts laughed for a bit before resuming their conversation.

"Anything major going on after the impending madness?" Soarin asked.

"I might mingle with the fans for a bit," Maelstrom answered. "You?"

"Come back here, wash up, and enjoy the town a bit."

"Sounds good; I'm going to go put my stuff away. It wouldn't be a bad idea to go ahead and get ready for showtime, either."

"I hear you. See you at the show!"

After Maelstrom left, Soarin closed his hotel room door and went to retrieve his suitcase. With a sigh, Soarin placed the suitcase on the bed and set about the task of putting stuff away. Two articles of clothing were casually set to one end of the bed while things such as nightclothes and hygiene items were stashed appropriately.

_My flight suit and my dress uniform_, Soarin noted, identifying the clothing he set aside. _I'll be needing my dress uniform for tonight, and I might as well go ahead and get my flight suit on._

Having finished unpacking, Soarin closed his suitcase and placed it in the closet, then put his dress uniform on a hanger and put that in the closet. After making sure everything was placed appropriately, Soarin donned his flight suit and goggles, and set off for the sports arena where the shows in Manehattan were set to take place.

_Madison Square Garden gets to host everything, it seems_, Soarin mentally joked upon reaching the venue.

As 11:30 approached, more and more Wonderbolts converged on "The Garden," as it was sometimes called, and made sure to check in with Spitfire. Upon the stroke of noon, the show began, and the crowd enjoyed every minute of it. Between the Skyward Strike and the Maelstrom Pulse, Soarin and Maelstrom stole the spotlight, prompting a couple of the others to improvise an encore. With the show a success, the Wonderbolts headed backstage for a quick autograph session and their press conference. At the conclusion of the activities, the Wonderbolts dispersed.

* * *

><p>Never before had a bath felt so good; certainly not as good as it felt for Soarin at that current moment.<p>

"I _seriously_ needed this," he said, basking in the heavenly comfort of the hot water.

When the flurry of activity was all but a footnote, 2:30 had just passed, and as he promised before, Soarin headed straight back to his room, tossed his flight suit in the general area set aside for dirty laundry—said toss was a blind attempt ending in apathetic failure—and prepared a hot bath for himself.

The time was now 3:00, and Soarin was just finishing up his much-needed bath. After drying himself, Soarin left the bathroom and stared out the window.

"Such a pretty skyline…" he mumbled.

Remembering that his team's welcome dinner was set for 7:00, Soarin made note of his prior intentions and the time he had available, but before setting off to enjoy the town, he felt the need to do something else. That "something else" just happened to be the task of writing a letter in accordance with a prior promise.

After obtaining some paper and a writing utensil, Soarin sat on the bed in his room, made himself comfortable, and began writing.

_Dear Rainbow Dash,_

_ Just as I promised, here I am writing to you about my experience in Manehattan. As I write this, I've survived the marathon known as the first half of the first day in a new location. Had to get up at like 6:30 in the morning in order to catch the early train to Manehattan. As soon as we got here, we were granted some time to get checked into the hotel and stuff. Then, we had an airshow and a press conference back-to-back. After that was done, I went to my room and took a hot bath. Got a few hours to kill before a welcome dinner tonight, so I wanted to get this done while I can._

_ We're in the Manefair Hotel; pretty nice place. I have plans to do as much sightseeing as I can, and I'm thinking of picking up some stuff from the gift shops while I'm here; hint, hint. I'll definitely be sure to let you know how my time here goes. On that note, the airshow went really well; I was hoping to see you there, but I understand how busy you can be, ha ha. The show was exhausting as usual, but it was still a lot of fun; here's hoping that the rest turn out the same way._

He read over the note to make sure he had everything he wanted to say. Satisfied with the message, he lowered the pencil to the paper to close the letter, but paused.

_Should I risk it?_ he asked himself. _Yeah, why not?_ he thought, smiling.

_I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you again. Hopefully, you and your friends are getting by without too much trouble._

_ Love,_

_ Soarin_

With that task complete, Soarin sealed and addressed the letter, made a note of the current time, grabbed a few essential items, and left the room. On the way through the hotel lobby, he placed his letter to Rainbow Dash in the box labeled "Outgoing" and whistled to himself in happiness. With the expansive town of Manehattan at his disposal and adequate time to spare, Soarin began walking.

After making a quick lunch stop at a carrot dog cart, Soarin looked all around him, wanting to take in as much as possible. With his snack finished, he focused his attention on finding a gift shop to visit before leaving Manehattan behind. During the pleasant walk, Soarin's spirits soared higher than normal, and a song began to fill his mind. Caught up in his own thoughts, Soarin began to sing, either unaware or uncaring of the attention he received.

"Oh, Manehattan! What you do to me! Such a huge, bustling community…"

As Soarin navigated the streets of Manehattan, the spirit of music filled his entire being. Distracted by the catchy tune, the cheerful Wonderbolt passed by all sorts of storefronts, signboards, and fellow pedestrians…yet was blissfully unaware of any of it. Unfortunately, this behavior had some adverse effects. In his inherent lack of focus, Soarin collided with someone, ending his song abruptly.

"Ow… My head…" a young female voice whined.

"Oh, my goodness!" Soarin exclaimed upon seeing the object of his collision. "I am _so_ sorry, miss; I just got a bit too distracted back there, so I didn't see you…"

"It's alright," the mare replied. "I wasn't really paying much attention to where I was going, either."

"You sure? I mean…you're not hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm fine."

Soarin helped the mare to her feet, which was followed by a gasp from her once she noticed the mess that now littered the ground.

"Oh, no…" the mare whined. "I _knew_ I shouldn't have tried to carry so much…"

"Let me help you with this stuff," Soarin offered as he set about recovering the assorted fabrics.

"Thanks," the mare sighed. "My name's Coco Pommel, by the way, and if you haven't already guessed, I'm a costume designer. I was just getting some new materials for my latest assignment."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Pommel. The name's Soarin."

"Soarin…of the Wonderbolts?!" Coco exclaimed. "It's such an honor to meet you. What brings you to Manehattan?"

"The Wonderbolts are in town for a few days. There's nothing going on at the moment, so I'm just wandering around."

"That's cool." By this point in the conversation, the mess of clothing materials had been cleaned. "Thanks for your help, Soarin; you're a lifesaver."

"Not a problem. I trust you have a lot of work to do, so after this case of 'crash into hello,' I'll let you get going."

After a quick exchange of farewells, Soarin and Coco Pommel parted ways. After browsing around town a bit more, Soarin returned to his room to prepare for the team's welcome dinner. After said dinner, Soarin returned to his room, got a quick shower, and went to bed.

* * *

><p>The next day began a bit like the last, but thanks to the lack of an early morning train ride, it wasn't nearly as hectic, which allowed the Wonderbolts to sleep in or have breakfast as they desired. Soarin <em>wanted<em> to sleep in, but between his tolerance for early starts and his still-high spirits, his body wouldn't let him, so he just stared at the ceiling and thought about stuff.

_Day two out of three…_ he noted. _Another airshow and some time with fans… Thank Celestia we don't have another press conference!_

As Soarin looked ahead to that day's events, he smirked at the idea of stealing the show again. In a way, he hoped Spitfire wouldn't get _too_ upset with him, yet he also liked seeing the look of childish envy on her face. Given the length of time the two had known each other, they knew exactly how to agitate one another, but it was all in good fun. That friendly rivalry within the Wonderbolt ranks strengthened the bond of family among them and helped them get better at what they do.

Soarin closed his eyes in meditation as his mind replayed all of his memories as a Wonderbolt. He loved being a part of something so exciting; all the friends he made, the inspiration he instilled in others, the opportunity to visit new places… Nothing would make him give that up!

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. After glancing at the clock on the bedside table, Soarin got out of bed and answered the door.

"Good morning!" Spitfire happily greeted.

"Good morning, yourself," Soarin replied. "So what brings you to see me?"

"Just wanted to make sure everyone was up. Today's events aren't happening until later, so we've got most of today to ourselves, just so you know."

"Right."

"I also came to bring you this."

Soarin accepted the envelope Spitfire had presented, and smiled upon seeing the name of the sender.

"I'll see you later, Soarin."

"Bye!"

With the bit of mail in hoof, Soarin closed his door, flopped onto his bed, and eagerly tore open the envelope to read the reply to his earlier message.

_Soarin,_

_ Great to hear from you! My friends and I are all doing fine, don't worry. We all visited Manehattan ourselves a little while back, so we know how exciting the place can be. I totally sympathize with you on getting up early, but it's all worth it. I'm glad you're having fun; Manehattan's got so much to experience, it's crazy! I remember our visit to Manehattan; Manefair Hotel was the place where we stayed. Rarity went there for Fashion Week, and invited us to go with her. We got to see all sorts of cool stuff, and Rarity had even managed to get us all tickets to see Hinny of the Hills! That show was SO AWESOME!_

_ Anyway, I saw what you did there with some of what you said last time. You don't have to worry about getting me anything, unless you really felt like it. Nice way to be subtle at the end, too. I can't wait to hear how the rest of your experience in Manehattan goes. By the way, how long are you in Manehattan, and where are you guys going after that? I'm sorry I couldn't watch you perform, but maybe another time._

_ Awesomely yours,_

_ Rainbow Dash_

Soarin set his friend's letter, and penned a quick reply.

_Rainbow Dash,_

_ It seems we agree; Manehattan's a great place to visit. All we have today is an airshow and time with the fans. Tomorrow's our last day here, then we're in Baltimare for a week, then we're off for a while. I'll see you then._

_ Soarin_

Just as he did the previous day, Soarin sent the letter to Dash, enjoyed Manehattan, and fulfilled his Wonderbolt duties; upon bumping into Coco Pommel again, Soarin gave his newest fan an autograph. The process of waking up and hitting the town repeated on the third day, ending with a train ride to Baltimare.


	6. Letters to the Heart

Rainbow Dash was known for her contagiously—or sickeningly, depending on who was asked—good mood, especially if she had seen or accomplished something incredible or awesome. The athletic pegasus was sometimes hard to please, but mention her friends or something about performing or being a hero, and she was bouncing off the walls, sometimes literally.

Within the span of the past few days, however, her bounciness had reached a new level, and _everyone_ took notice. While some could only guess what was up, there were those—primarily her friends—that knew why Rainbow Dash was suddenly so cheerful.

The local show-off wasn't one to get mail very often, but now, she was in the habit of checking her mailbox at least once or twice a day. What was a secret to most wasn't a secret to Rainbow Dash's friends: she had acquired a pen pal, but not just any _regular_ pen pal—Rainbow Dash was exchanging letters with Soarin of the Wonderbolts.

After finishing up a few miscellaneous weather jobs around Ponyville, Rainbow went back home to check the mail, and went inside after finding her mailbox empty. As she headed for the kitchen to get a snack, she wondered how her friend was doing. Some might argue that her recent hobby was a bit obnoxious in the way she managed it, but she didn't care. She was getting a first-hand account of what a Wonderbolt tour was really like, much like...

_This is how it felt when Mom was still on the team_, Rainbow thought. _Whenever she told us how things were going, it felt like we were actually there._

Rainbow Dash was accustomed to the fast life, so she was no stranger to having to operate on a tight schedule or work long days. However, there _were_ times when she was forced to show a little patience. Usually, she'd take a pass on that, but when it came to a friend, she was willing to compromise. The friend in this case was Soarin, and Rainbow Dash eagerly awaited his next letter.

As she enjoyed her snack—a piece of an apple cake from Applejack and a glass of milk—Rainbow Dash smiled as she read Soarin's last note, a postcard from Baltimare, and sighed as she pictured the scenario described by her friend.

_Rainbow Dash,_

_Just getting settled here in Baltimare, and so far, so good. I hope you enjoyed the stuff I sent you; a few of the others had a few jokes, but let them laugh. Ha ha ha! We're expected to have a royal mess of a schedule, but I will still make time to write to you. I love you, and I can't wait to see you again._

_Soarin_

As soon as she got the note and package that came with it, Rainbow Dash excitedly dove into it, in a manner of speaking, and wasted no time in sending a reply. Just as with her other replies, Rainbow gave a quick update on how she and her friends were doing, wished Soarin the best of luck, and made comments about something he had experienced. In the latest one, however, she also thanked him for the gifts he sent—a snow globe and a T-shirt, both from Manehattan—and assured him that no matter how crazy things got, he'd have a friend he could vent his frustrations to.

"Hopefully, he doesn't get the wrong idea from me saying that," Rainbow muttered. "My first rule of life has been to stick by my friends, no matter what. I've never been much of a counselor or advisor, but Soarin's going to need someone to talk to besides his teammates...if the term 'royal mess' is anything to go by."

Rainbow stood up and sighed.

"Maybe he'll send me something again," she pondered, smiling.

After sticking Soarin's postcard on the refrigerator door and putting the used dishes in the sink, Rainbow headed back outside and stood on her front porch.

"What a nice day!" she sighed, happily.

"I'll say," someone next to her replied.

"Twilight! What are you doing here?" Rainbow asked.

"Just wanted to see if you were still interested in stopping by the library for a bit," Twilight answered. "I was hoping to catch you flying around town or something, but then I had a thought to wait for you here."

"Heh heh... Well, you found me. I've done all I need to for now, so let's get to it."

With a smile and a laugh between them, the two friends headed off to Golden Oaks Library to socialize and read as they often enjoy doing. After a few hours of reading about a red-walled monastery run by woodland creatures and discussing their favorite parts of the story, Twilight and Rainbow Dash wished each other farewell and Rainbow went home, retrieved her mail, and went inside.

After placing the solitary envelope on her kitchen table, Rainbow Dash had a quick dinner, took a shower, and returned to the kitchen to read the letter waiting for her.

_Rainbow,_

_Couple days into our stay in Baltimare, and things are going as they should for now. I'm glad you enjoyed my little surprise. I wish I could talk about sightseeing here, but we've had so much stuff going on, we haven't had much time to ourselves. Don't get me wrong; I love what I do, but hasn't anyone ever considered that even we need a break? I'm looking forward to a vacation, in case you couldn't tell. The airshows and fan meetings are always fun, but those blasted press conferences... Argh!_

_Spitfire made sure to congratulate us on the good work so far, but we've got a flank-load of press-related stuff later in the week. There's a team interview for the Equestria Weekly that we're sort of looking forward to, but mostly...what's the point of this stuff? I know I shouldn't complain; it's all for the fans, and in the end, it's all worth it, just as you said before._

_If I get the chance to mill around the town, I'll try to get you something, but don't hold me to that. As I said last time, I'll write to you as much as I can. I really appreciate hearing from you, Rainbow. I know Spitfire's probably getting annoyed with me, but I don't really care. Thinking about you is the main thing keeping my sanity intact. I'll try to stay positive, I promise. In the meantime, take care of yourself. I love you._

_Soarin_

After reading the note a few times, Rainbow Dash obtained paper and a pencil, and after a sigh, wrote.

_Soarin,_

_That's really sweet of you to consider me the thing keeping you from going crazy. I really appreciate that, and I really appreciate hearing from you, too. But if Spitfire yells at you for writing to me, then do what she says; don't get yourself in trouble over me. You have responsibilities of your own; don't worry about me too much. You know I'm here cheering for you. Give it everything you have! Stay tough!_

_On a lighter note, everything's fine here in Ponyville. I wouldn't mind hearing about what Baltimare's like, but I won't hold anything against you. The stuff you got me from Manehattan was fine; it actually made Rarity a bit jealous, which was just Rarity being herself. I can't wait to hang out some more; we've still got a lot to talk about. Until next time, good luck! Be careful and have fun! Also, tell the others I said 'hi' and if they make any jokes, let them know what they're missing out on._

_Rainbow Dash_

With the letter sealed, addressed, and in the mailbox, Rainbow Dash retreated to her room and went to bed.

* * *

><p>The next day began for Rainbow Dash as it always did: she got up, got breakfast and a shower, checked the mail, and went flying around town. Under the light of the sun, Rainbow enjoyed herself. Life in Ponyville happened on a relatively predictable pattern, aside from any accidents, and Rainbow was OK with that.<p>

"What to do, what to do?" she asked herself. "Maybe I'll go visit Applejack, unless she's busy, but when has _that_ ever stopped me?"

As she laughed at her own remark, Rainbow transitioned into a lazy hover before landing on a cloud.

"You do realize I can hear you, right?" asked a familiar southern drawl.

"Oh, hi, AJ," Rainbow said, ignoring her friend's prior question. "What's up?"

"Nothin' much. Good to hear you ownin' up to interrupin' me, Rainbow Dash."

"Oh, come on, you know you enjoy it," Rainbow answered, meeting Applejack's sly smirk with a mischievous grin of her own. "You'd be bored to tears without me around."

Applejack merely laughed and shook her head in response to her friend's comment.

"See? What did I tell you? Name someone besides me that can make you laugh the way I do, or better yet, name someone besides me that can keep you in top athletic condition."

"OK, OK, you win this one, Rainbow. It _is_ good to have you droppin' in on me most of the time, but right now, I have a stand to run."

"Of course… I'll see you later, then."

With the quick farewell received and returned, Rainbow Dash sped away from the town marketplace and went back to flying around town.

_I wonder how things are in Baltimare_, Rainbow thought as she took a corkscrew turn into a mass of clouds.

With the sudden thought of Baltimare came thoughts about the Wonderbolts and their hectic schedule. As Rainbow Dash wondered about how they were handling themselves, her mind wandered toward one ace flier in particular.

"Soarin," Rainbow whispered as she pictured his cheerful face smiling back at her. With the image of her friend's face at the forefront of her mind, she could hear his voice; mostly, she heard stuff from the letters he sent.

_I love you, and I can't wait to see you again_, Soarin said, calmly.

_I can't wait to see you, either_, Rainbow mentally answered, _and I can't wait to hear how things went for you guys._

As Rainbow Dash's mind continued to wander, her wings slowed to a casual pace of flight—roughly the same pace she used when she was with her other friends—and she drifted through the sky in contentment. After a time of this, blissfully unaware of life around her, Rainbow decided to fly home and take a nap so she didn't accidentally crash into anyone or anything.

No sooner than she landed and opened her door, Rainbow Dash was greeted by a tap on the shoulder. Upon turning to answer the gesture, Rainbow found a postal worker nervously smiling back at her.

"Hey," she said. "What's up?"

"Hi," the stallion answered. "You're Rainbow Dash, correct?"

"The one and only!" Rainbow declared.

"Got something for you," the postal worker replied with a laugh.

Without a word, Rainbow accepted the letter and hugged the stallion in gratitude. After the odd exchange, Rainbow Dash was alone again. After staring at the bit of mail in her hooves for a while, Rainbow retreated to her bedroom to read the message.

_Rainbow,_

_Today went really well; bit of a breather, actually. Just an airshow, then we had the whole day to ourselves. Spitfire heavily encouraged us to take advantage of it since tomorrow's when the real storm begins. Yay… Speaking of Spitfire, she's fine with us writing to each other like this; I'm not the only one receiving and answering fan mail. Also, her and a few others said 'hi.' Thanks for all the kind words, Rainbow. I needed that._

_Now that I have the chance to do it, let me tell you about Baltimare. It's a nice place; it feels a bit like Ponyville, to be honest. Not too much in the way of tourist attractions, aside from a few nice restaurants. I guess that's a good thing, though. Manehattan had all the fun and excitement, but Baltimare is a simplified version of that bustling community; wouldn't be a bad place to live, really. I'll tell you more as the opportunity presents itself. Worst case scenario, you may not hear from me at all the rest of the week. I apologize in advance for that. As always, I love you, and I look forward to hearing from you._

_Soarin_

After reading the letter, Rainbow instinctively prepared a reply.

_Soarin,_

_I'm happy to hear you and the others are doing well. If you wind up being too busy to write to me, don't sweat; I love hearing from you, but I understand that you have a job to do. Don't get yourself all stressed out because of me. I wish you the best of luck, Soarin. As I have often said before, I always try to help out my friends, so giving words of encouragement is no trouble at all._

_As far as Baltimare is concerned, I've been there before, though I've never bade plans to take a vacation there, so I can at least agree with you on a few of your comments. Baltimare does seem like a simpler version of Manehattan, but it is still a nice place. Don't know about living there, but I wouldn't mind taking a trip out that way, at the very least._

_Anyway, enough about all of that! I know you didn't really say it, but I miss you. I look forward to your letters, and I look forward to seeing you. I understand I can't make the week pass by any quicker; no one can. I wish I could be there with you; you're probably wishing the same exact thing. I think it's safe to say that we're both thinking of each other. Until the next time I hear from you or see you, take care of yourself, Soarin._

_Rainbow_

With a sigh of contentment, Rainbow sealed and addressed her letter to Soarin, and stepped outside.

_This'll make him happy, no doubt_, she thought as she smiled at the letter in her possession. _I really do miss him._

Suddenly, a new set of thoughts crossed Rainbow Dash's mind. After carefully placing her letter to Soarin in her teeth, Rainbow dipped a hoof in her home's rainbow waterfall, and stared at the spectrum now decorating her hoof. Proud of her great idea, she paced the letter directly in front of her door and calmly pressed her rainbow-covered hoof to the envelope's surface.

_Nothing like a rainbow hoofprint to cheer up a stressed-out friend_, Rainbow happily noted.

Taking the letter in her teeth, she headed off toward the post office, partly to shake things up a bit, and partly so Soarin wouldn't have to wait too long to read the letter. After making sure her personal embellishment had dried, Rainbow Dash placed her letter in the appropriate box, and flew off to enjoy the rest of the afternoon with her friends.

In the midst of the picnic Rainbow and her friends threw together, afternoon turned into evening, and when it became too dark to see well, the group of friends dispersed. With another day successfully behind her, Rainbow Dash headed home and went straight to bed.

* * *

><p>The next day came and went rather uneventfully. Rainbow Dash did her usual morning activities, but there was no mail for her, so she chose to occupy herself with a visit to Fluttershy's cottage.<p>

As Rainbow aided her childhood friend with the miscellaneous animal-related tasks, which she found somewhat relaxing, the two happily discussed how things were going between Rainbow Dash and Soarin. Rainbow had admitted to really missing her friend, yet didn't quite feel ready to acknowledge it as something more, which Fluttershy understood.

Not having anything else that day, Rainbow went back to her own devices for a bit. With a random encounter with the Cutie Mark Crusaders thrown in there, Rainbow finished the day with her familiar sequence of events.

* * *

><p>A new day began, bringing the warm glow of sunrise with it. Rainbow Dash stirred from her sleep, gazed out the window, and looked at her clock. After noticing the time was roughly half past six in the morning, Rainbow grumbled, rolled over, and went back to sleep.<p>

After waking at a decent—in her mind—hour, Rainbow carried out her morning routine and, with all her assigned weather tasks complete, flew to Twilight's house. Smiling, she knocked on the door and waited. She knocked a second time; still no answer. With a sigh and a promise to return later, Rainbow Dash went home.

After taking a moment to check the mailbox and retrieve its contents, Rainbow went to her kitchen table. As she stared at the envelope, she felt a sense of anxiety. Without making a sound of any kind, Rainbow carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. After taking and releasing a deep breath, Rainbow read.

_Rainbow,_

_I know it isn't needed, but I'm sorry for not getting back to you right away. Yesterday was Tartarus; press conferences all morning after a team breakfast and then an airshow followed by ANOTHER Celestia-forsaken press conference. It was literally back and forth all day long; we got NO time to ourselves! I'm sorry; you said I could vent if I needed to. Wish freaking granted!_

_Spitfire said we'd have a royal mess of a schedule. I've got a more, shall we say, 'colorful' way of summarizing yesterday's chaos, but as I am still in possession of my manners, I won't say it here. I wish I could say the airshow went well, but we were so wound up from everything else, we couldn't think straight. Half the reporters looked like they had NO idea of what was happening; seriously, guys, can't you at least PRETEND to have a clue?_

_We were all glad to be done with that unmentionable nightmare. Spitfire actually went around apologizing to us for how stressful the day was and commending us on how well we handled it. Never again, Spitfire! Yeah, I yelled at my own captain; told her not to waste my time uttering an apology in place of someone else, among other things. No doubt I'll be facing some serious heat for that. Suspend me, fire me; I couldn't care less! We still have another couple days of this. Just let it end, already!_

_We've been assured that we've survived the worst. Today, we just have a couple airshows with a conference after each one; better, but still a thing of insanity. I'm ready for a break. I read your letter multiple times; seriously, thanks for that. I'm still a bit edgy thanks to yesterday; I'm probably not the only one. There is a silver lining, though; your kind words and thoughts are helping me calm down. I seriously miss you and wish I could be in Ponyville with you, so much more than I can say here. I love you with all my heart, Rainbow Dash, and I can't wait to see you and hold you in my hooves like before._

_I truly apologize for this letter being so negative, but I just couldn't keep this to myself. Take care of yourself._

_Soarin_

Rainbow just couldn't believe what she read. "Negative" was an understatement in regards to her friend's…emotions. She _did_ give him an invitation to vent his frustrations, but she wasn't expecting anything like that. This prompted a concern in Rainbow Dash's mind.

_When I make the team, _I'll _have to put up with drama like that_, she observed.

After reading the letter a second time, Rainbow Dash obtained paper and a pencil, and one glass of water later, brainstormed a reply to Soarin's words.

_Soarin,_

_For the love of Celestia, PLEASE don't do something you'll regret! I got that you were angry, but nothing calls for yelling at a friend. I speak from personal experience. First chance you get, apologize to Spitfire. It's not just for the sake of your job; it's for the sake of your friendship. I'm glad my last letter helped you chill. I honestly wasn't expecting you to be so wound up, but I'm still glad I could help._

_Now, about that stuff at the end, thank you so much. Bit of a sudden change of topic, but whatever. I'm really looking forward to seeing you again, as well._

Rainbow Dash sighed and had another glass of water before continuing her message.

_Soarin, you are truly one of the nicest guys I've ever met. Your vacation can't come soon enough; we both can agree on that. I can't wait to hang out some more; we've still got so much to talk about. But you know, if you want to, we can share our thoughts by mail. It would keep your mind off the drama. Either way, it's time I make a decision._

She closed her eyes and sighed. After placing a hoof over her heart, she opened her eyes and continued writing.

_Soarin, you have already opened your heart to me, so now it's time for me to do the same. I accepted you as a friend, and you were fine with that. As I've been exchanging these letters with you, I've felt as though I'm there with you. Whenever you've mentioned feeling stressed out or exhausted, I've offered words of encouragement and wished I really could be at your side. Now, I wish you were here with me. I miss you so much, Soarin. I'm finally ready to accept the love that you've offered me. I'm finally ready to move past a simple, or not so simple, friendship. You've sincerely loved me for more than a couple months now, and now I'm finally ready to embrace that._

_I sincerely apologize for being so blind to your true feelings that day we talked in Canterlot. I'm well aware that others could likely see how you felt from a mile away. Well, I'm not blind, anymore! I've already thanked you for the stuff you said at the end of your last letter, and I've already said how much I want to spend time with you when you're done touring. Now, it's time I say the one thing that hasn't been said yet: I love you, Soarin. I haven't just missed you; I'm actually quite lonely without you around. Yeah, I still have my friends, but it's just not the same. I'll see you when you're done with your Wonderbolt stuff. Again, I love you, Soarin._

_Rainbow_

Having that weight lifted from her heart, Rainbow carefully set the letter aside and got a new sheet of paper. With a quick smile and glance at the message to Soarin, Rainbow grabbed the pencil and began a new letter.

_Dear Princess Cadance,_

_I know you're not expecting to hear from me, but I have a concern I think you can address. I don't know if you're aware or not, but not too far back—about a week and a half ago—a guy I know pretty well told me he was in love with me. I didn't feel that way at first, but after some advice from my friends and my mom, I chose to give him a chance. I accepted him as a friend and decided to see where that went. We've been keeping in touch with each other, and we both really care about each other. He loves me, and I was finally able to tell him that I love him._

_This is where I need your help. What do I do next? I'm not expecting you to just give me the answer, but I am asking for some advice. You're the Princess of Love, so you're the best one to ask, in my opinion. Anyway, tell Shining Armor I said 'hi,' and you two take care of yourselves._

_Respectfully yours,_

_Rainbow Dash_

After reading over both letters and finding their contents appropriate, Rainbow Dash sealed and addressed them both as needed, and headed out again. After mailing both letters, one of which had a rainbow hoofprint stamped on it, Rainbow revisited Twilight's house, and calmly knocked on the door. After a short wait, Rainbow raised a hoof to knock a second time, but found that unnecessary once the door opened.

"Hi, Rainbow," Twilight said. "What brings you here?"

"I came by earlier, but you weren't home," Rainbow explained. "I just wanted to hang out here for a bit."

"Oh, cool!" Twilight happily replied. "Come on in!"

With gratitude, Rainbow Dash accepted her friend's invitation. As Rainbow made herself comfortable, Twilight retreated to her kitchen and returned with a tray containing a kettle of freshly-brewed tea and two small cups.

"I bet I know why you're here," Twilight mused. "I'll bet you're wanting to read something."

"Since I'm here, sure," Rainbow replied.

With a smile and a bit of magic, Twilight levitated two books from one of the shelves.

"This is the direct sequel to the one we read the other day," she explained as she passed a copy to her friend.

"Actually, there's another thing on my mind," Rainbow said as she opened her book to the first page. "A bit of a personal announcement, if you will."

"Oh, really? What is it?" Twilight asked, simultaneously pouring some tea for herself and Rainbow Dash and opening her own copy of the book to its first page.

"When I came by here, I just wanted to hang out for a bit, but since you were out, I went home. There was another letter from Soarin. I read it and sent a reply."

"Sorry I missed you, earlier."

"It's cool. Anyway, in my reply, I decided it was time for me to open my heart the way Soarin did. I told him the truth about how I feel: I miss him, I can't wait to spend time with him, and I love him. Now, I just have to wait for him to get back to me and go from there."

"Well, congratulations!" Twilight beamed. "I hope everything works out for you two."

"Thanks," Rainbow replied.

After a time of drinking tea, socializing, and reading, Rainbow Dash and Twilight made note of the late hour, and agreed to finish their reading session another time. With a heartfelt hug between them, the two friends wished each other a good night and Rainbow Dash went home, got into bed, and drifted off into dreams of a certain Wonderbolt.

The next day began with a gentle flourish. Rejuvenated by a good night's sleep, Rainbow Dash went through her morning routine, humming and singing to herself along the way, and thanked Celestia for the beautiful sky above. After a mental check to make sure she didn't miss anything, Rainbow went into an energetic flight around town.

As she flew over Ponyville, Rainbow happily returned any greetings sent her way and greeted each of her friends as she passed them. A few laps around Ponyville, and Rainbow Dash felt the need for a quick snack. After a short stop at Sugarcube Corner, which included a discussion about pranking with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow went home to check the mail.

Finding the mailbox currently empty did nothing to deflate Rainbow Dash's spirits. After making a mental note that the mail likely hadn't gone yet, Rainbow laid back in the grass and stared at the clear skies above. With a sigh of happiness, she closed her eyes and thought about how fortunate she was to have so many wonderful friends and such an amazing family.

As she thought about her friends and family, Rainbow smiled at the memories she had with all of them, both good and bad, and looked to the past, present, and future with a sense of pride and joy. From her friends and family, her thoughts returned to Soarin. With the comfort his presence in her mind provided, Rainbow fell asleep.

A short time later, she awoke to see that the flag on her mailbox had been raised.

_Probably someone who doesn't understand what that's for lifted it_, Rainbow thought as she lowered the flag on the mailbox and retrieved the lone letter inside.

With anticipation filling her body, Rainbow went inside and dashed straight for her bedroom. After making herself comfortable on her bed, Rainbow eagerly opened the envelope and read the message inside.

_Rainbow,_

_Words can't express how happy I am right now. I did take time to apologize to everyone for losing my temper, so that's dealt with. Rainbow Dash, you are amazing. Thank you so much for your kind words. I literally cried when I read the last letter you sent. I can't thank you enough for that. I was also quite fond of the rainbow hoofprint on your last couple letters. You're so sweet, Rainbow. Anyway, I have good news for you. Turns out, our schedule changed, so we'll be done a day early. After we wrap things up in Baltimare, it's back to Cloudsdale for some housekeeping details, then we're on break. I'll be in Ponyville, first chance I get. Don't worry about writing back to me; we'll be able to talk all we want when we see each other. I love you, Rainbow._

_Soarin_

After reading the letter a few times, Rainbow carefully returned it to its envelope and danced a jig of sorts out of sheer happiness. When she had calmed to a respectable level, she left her home and sped toward the library with exciting news to share and a book to finish.

Upon reaching her friend's home, Rainbow Dash went and knocked on the door. The call was answered in little time at all, and Rainbow was warmly welcomed inside. After sharing the news that Soarin would be visiting sooner than originally planned, Rainbow requested the conclusion to what they had started the night before; Twilight was more than happy to oblige.

With no other interruptions, Rainbow Dash and Twilight finished their little book club meeting, and Rainbow went off to occupy herself while awaiting Soarin's next visit, just as she had done earlier that day. Rainbow Dash flew around town and visited with the rest of her friends, making sure to pass along the announcement of Soarin's upcoming visit. Remembering her earlier talk with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow returned to Sugarcube Corner, and the two spent the rest of the day pulling pranks on unsuspecting victims.

When evening had arrived, Rainbow Dash went home and went to bed after dinner and a shower. With a glance out the window and a sigh of contentment, Rainbow closed her eyes and cleared her mind as much as she could in an effort to sleep. Some time later, she drifted off.


	7. Together at Last

Dawn of a new day… The sun was just starting to rise… Rainbow Dash absolutely hated waking up at such and early hour, but her body had other plans. Sure, she was likely well-rested, but the half-asleep Pegasus didn't feel the need to get out of bed just yet. She wanted to sleep through the sunrise, as she always did.

Throughout the night, Rainbow awoke feeling the same kind of loneliness she had felt while reading Soarin's letters. What sleep she _did_ get was spent dreaming of Soarin; not as a Wonderbolt, but as himself—someone she could trust no matter how rough things became, someone she could laugh with, someone who could compliment her far beyond the way she and her friends complimented one another…

_He's probably feeling the same way I am_, Rainbow thought.

She turned to face the window and pulled her blanket up to her chin.

_No_, Rainbow thought. _There's no question about it; he misses me just as much as I miss him, if not more._

"Oh, Soarin," she mumbled. "Please hurry up and get here…" She closed her eyes. "I love you," she whispered before going back to sleep.

Rainbow Dash woke with a sudden start. After looking out the window and noting that the sun was shining brightly, she looked over to her clock.

"Wow, it's almost noon," she muttered. "Guess I wasn't well-rested, after all."

With a yawn and a stretch, Rainbow got up, had a quick snack, and went into her usual routine of flying around town. Watching the activity down below often made Rainbow smile, but seeing foals, especially the smaller ones, laughing and playing with each other or with their loved ones filled her heart with a great sense of longing she hadn't really felt before.

_I have to ask him how he feels about kids_, Rainbow thought. _That'll be one of the first things we discuss when he gets here._

As the energetic flier passed over the streets of Ponyville, she thought about other potential discussion topics. While she wasn't always one to sit and chat, she was willing to make exceptions; the promised meeting with Soarin now rested at the top of that list. The two had a lot to talk about, and Soarin's visit couldn't come soon enough.

With each successful corkscrew turn or gravity-defying climb, Rainbow Dash impatiently awaited the cheerful Wonderbolt's presence. No amount of jokes or doubts could deflate her high spirit. Even when she suddenly crashed into Twilight's balcony—this time not being Applejack's fault—her heart soared higher than a foal during the holidays.

"Rainbow Dash…" Twilight muttered upon seeing the source of the noise outside her bedroom window. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Oh, lighten up!" Rainbow laughed as she recovered from her awkward landing and went into a gentle hover. "Can't I be excited about stuff?"

Twilight could only manage a sigh of annoyance.

"I guess not…"

"You can be excited," Twilight began, "but at least _try_ to be reasonable about it. I swear, you're almost as bad as Pinkie Pie…"

"Am I _really_ that bad?" Rainbow asked, a childish grin now plastered on her face.

A glare from Twilight was the only initial response.

"What?"

"Do I have to remind you of your antics regarding the last Daring Do book?"

"Eh heh heh… I guess I _did_ get carried away back there…"

"I know you're looking forward to seeing Soarin again," Twilight softly began, "but it'll probably be another day or two before he's able to make it down here, you know."

"I know," Rainbow sighed as she landed in front of Twilight. "There's just so much I want to talk to him about, aside from just wanting to _see_ him again. Besides…you know how I am when I'm expecting something important…to me…"

"Yeah, I do. I'm really happy for you—we all are—and it'll be exciting to see this work."

"I feel the same way. I _want_ this to work, since we've gone to so much trouble over it, already."

The two friends sat in silence for a bit before a thought sprung into Rainbow Dash's mind, jolting her out of the calm stupor she had fallen into.

"Sorry to be in such a rush, but I just remembered something I have to take care of."

"Right," Twilight nodded in understanding. "See you later, then."

With a strong flap of her wings, Rainbow Dash rocketed skyward and sped toward her cloud house. Upon reaching the ornate structure, she landed and went inside. Without a word, she went to her bedroom, got a pencil and a piece of paper, made herself as comfortable as she could in her own bed, considering the weight on her heart and mind, and wrote.

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_I know it's been a while since you last heard from me. I'm sorry about that; I've just been so busy with stuff over the past week. You know how it is. Anyway, as I promised, I wanted to tell you how things are going between me and Soarin. A lot's happened between us, though it probably won't seem like much._

_After he visited me before, he had to leave for the next part of the Wonderbolts' current tour. At first, they were in Manehattan for a few days. Then, they spent the past several days in Baltimare. Soarin and I wrote to each other throughout a major portion of that time, and he even sent me a couple gifts from Manehattan. He had fun in Manehattan, but the time in Baltimare was rather stressful for him._

_The good news with the whole pen pal thing was that by keeping in touch with me, he was able to keep his sanity in one piece. I was also able to help him calm down when he was really stressed out. I've been giving him words of encouragement and stuff, and he really liked me for it, since it helped him focus._

_Within the past few days, I've just felt this amazing sense, like I'm actually there with him. We both keep wishing we could be at each other's side, and we_—

Rainbow took a moment to think before continuing the letter.

—_think about each other constantly now. I've been seeing him in my dreams, and I'm willing to bet his sees me in his dreams. He's a real sweetheart, and he's been incredibly patient and open with me, and with the last letter I sent him, I decided it was time for me to give him that same sense of openness and accept the love he's offered me. When he's finished with his Wonderbolt stuff, he'll be coming to Ponyville to visit me again, and this time, he'll be on his vacation, which means we'll have plenty of time together. I seriously can't wait!_

_I can't really think of anything else to say right now, so I'll just end this here and get back to you whenever I can._

_Love,_

_Rainbow_

Just as before, she took a moment to seal and address the letter as needed, and after dropping the letter off at the post office, she made herself comfortable on a large cumulus overlooking Sweet Apple Acres.

"Aah, Soarin…" Rainbow sighed in contentment. "In some ways, we're so much alike…"

Not expecting anything else for the rest of the day, Rainbow Dash felt content with staying in her current spot for the remainder of the afternoon. With Rainbow's thoughts now focused on her favorite Wonderbolt, time raced by. Suddenly, nightfall had arrived. Taking the hint, Rainbow went home and headed off to bed.

"Sweet dreams, Soarin," Rainbow whispered after closing her eyes.

A moment later, she was asleep.

The next day began in a manner of perfection. Rainbow Dash awoke to a pleasant sun-filled morning sky. The warm rays of light washed over her like a gentle embrace, and though it was still somewhat early, Rainbow wasn't complaining; she had awoken from potentially the best night of sleep in her life, truly well-rested and ready to "attack the day," as Fluttershy had once quoted.

"Now _this_ is more like it!" Rainbow declared as she got out of bed.

After her usual morning routine of a shower and a quick breakfast, Rainbow felt the need to tend to some of her weather assignments, and with that done, the day was hers.

"Why can't every day start out like this?" she asked as she flew over the activity down below. "Life would be so awesome, then…"

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash fell into a bit of a monolog.

"Yeah, life's _already_ awesome, but there's _nothing_ that compares to days like today. The weather is absolutely _beautiful_, the birds are singing, the townspeople are as cheerful as ever… I've got to be the luckiest mare alive right now! I've got the most amazing parents ever, I've got the best friends anyone could ever ask for, I have the best little sister in the world—it doesn't matter that we're not actually related—and I have the pride of living in one of Equestria's most welcoming communities. Oh, by the way, I've helped save Equestria multiple times, met my favorite author and adventurer, _and_ I'm on my way toward joining the Wonderbolts."

As she graced the sky, Rainbow Dash's reference to her closeness to living her dream brought forth a number of Wonderbolt-related concerns.

"Once I'm in, Soarin and I will have to endure whatever remarks the press decides to make about us, since we'll both be on the team at the same time, except at different ranks. Actually…who cares about what the press says about us? I'm sure there have been other couples within the Wonderbolts _long_ before us. The best part is that we'll be able to comfort each other when the drama starts. But what if that drama beaks us apart?"

She shook her head after making an abrupt stop.

"No! I once held the Element of Loyalty, and Soarin is _far_ too infatuated with me to just abandon me. We'll make this work! I _have_ to stay positive!"

After making her bold declaration, Rainbow landed on the cloud closest to her and looked down at the scenery below. During the conversation with herself, she had arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. Below, she could see Applejack and Big Macintosh plowing the fields and tending to whatever other chores needed taken care of.

"Heh, farm life…" Rainbow muttered. "I don't mind helping them every once in a while, but I don't think I could ever get used to living that way; they wake up _way_ too early for my tastes."

"Then I suppose you'd be goin' without breakfast," came a familiar bass voice directly below the cloud currently occupied by Rainbow Dash.

"Big Mac!" Rainbow exclaimed. "How did you manage to hear what I was saying?"

"Because you was lookin' right at me when you said it," the farmer quipped. "'Sides, you ain't as quiet as you think."

"So you heard all of what I just said…from all the way down there?"

"Eeyup."

Rainbow laughed nervously at the awkward turn the scene had just taken.

"By the way, don't you have a date or somethin' comin' up?"

"H-how did you know about that?" Rainbow asked, her face slowly turning red.

"With the way you've been bouncin' from one end of the sky to the other, I think a better question would be of who _doesn't_ know about it."

"Heh heh… Right," Rainbow replied as she rubbed the back of her head nervously.

"Excuse me, you two," Applejack cut in from nearby. "I hope you don't mind, but we've still got some work left to do."

"Heh heh… Of course, sis," Big Macintosh replied.

"Good morning to you, too, AJ," Rainbow sarcastically added.

"Hey, I don't mind talkin' to pass the time, but you can work while doin' it," Applejack said, firmly. "Assumin' you'd like to get down off o' that cloud and put some o' your extra energy toward helpin' us, that is."

"Nah, you guys seem to have everything under control, so I'll just leave you to it," Rainbow replied. "Catch you later!"

"That pony'll be the death of us all…" Applejack muttered as she watched her friend fly away.

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh said in agreement.

As Rainbow Dash left her friend's home behind, she wondered about how long Soarin had planned to stick around once he showed up.

_He doesn't have to worry about catching an early train somewhere or anything like that_, Rainbow mentally noted, _which means we'll be able to hang out or something. I could show him around town, just as he wanted before. Now that I think about it, Twilight's estimate sounds pretty reasonable. That means he'll likely show up sometime today!_

With that thought echoing in her mind, Rainbow Dash decided to just head for Ponyville Park and wait for Soarin there.

_Considering we came here last time he visited…_

The park's current state of emptiness made her somewhat nervous, but after realizing that it was still before noon and school hadn't let out for the day, she dismissed that concern and flopped onto a cloud. With nothing else to think about for the moment, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and fell into a state of meditation.

The day had proven to be rather stress-free for Rainbow, so far; no doubt, it was a perfect day in her eyes, but there actually was something that could make it beyond perfect. Slowly, a smile crept onto Rainbow Dash's face as she anticipated Soarin's arrival. With his smiling face being the only thing on her mind now, she could feel a sense of peace she didn't feel too often. With that sense of peace, her eyes began to feel heavy and her breathing softened accordingly…

…until she was slowly alerted by a gentle tap on the shoulder.

"Huh? What?" she sleepily asked.

"You're not going to fall asleep on me, are you?" a voice asked in response.

"I wasn't sleeping…" Rainbow replied.

"Of course not," came the light-hearted reply. "I don't really blame you; this weather is pretty relaxing."

"This weather isn't the only thing that relaxes me…"

"You're so sweet, Rainbow."

"Thanks…"

"Any time. Come on; open your eyes. I know I'm not the most interesting guy in the world, but—"

"OK, you got me," Rainbow cut in as she sat up. After shaking the cobwebs from her mind, she turned and lit up once she saw her visitor. "Soarin!"

"Hey, Rainbow," he responded, happily drawing her into a hug. "It's so good to see you again!"

"It's great to see you, too! I've really missed you."

"I know; I've really missed you, as well."

"So now that you're here, what did you want to do?"

"Actually, I was hoping we could just…catch up on things. I'm interested in what you've been up to since I last wrote to you."

"About that…" Rainbow sighed. "I'd like to get caught up, as well, but there was also a bit of a…personal question I wanted to ask. Just wanted your opinion on something, really."

"Cool. We could do that. What was it you wanted to ask me? I have some questions of my own, actually. Maybe we're thinking the same thing."

"Actually, could we go back to my place? That way, we'll be safe from 'wandering ears,' as you put it."

"Sure; lead the way," Soarin replied with a laugh.

"I remember passing this place," Soarin began, awestruck by the majestic cloud structure, "but I didn't realize that you lived here."

"Well, now you do," Rainbow replied.

"It's beautiful…"

"Thanks."

"…but not as beautiful as you."

"I—I don't know what to say…"

"How about we go inside?"

With a smile and a nod, Rainbow Dash led Soarin into her home, and, upon Rainbow's invitation, the two pegasi sat down on the couch.

"So now what?" Soarin asked.

"How'd the aftermath of Baltimare turn out?" Rainbow asked.

"We were all glad to be done. Everyone was ready to go home, but Spitfire assured us that we earned it."

"How's long's your vacation?"

"A few months. So… what have you been up to?"

"Driving everybody crazy with how much I've been looking forward to seeing you," Rainbow laughed.

"Don't ever change."

"I promise."

"I'll hold you to that, Rainbow. Now what was it you wanted to get my opinion on?"

"Kids," Rainbow softly answered.

"Some of my biggest fans are kids. It always makes me smile when I get to perform or just hang out because, depending on where we perform, the kids just run right to me and some of the others. To answer your question, I love kids."

"Awesome."

"You want to know what I'm thinking?"

Rainbow nodded.

"I had a matter of my own to discuss with you. You know how I feel about you, and you feel the same way about me."

"Yeah…"

"We've wanted to see each other, but I was wondering if you'd be up for taking it… further."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking I could take you out to dinner or something, sometime."

"You mean… like a date?" Rainbow asked, remembering Big Macintosh's comment from before.

"Absolutely."

"Yeah…" Rainbow whispered, slowly leaning toward Soarin. "I'd be up for that."

"Awesome," the Wonderbolt answered, gently pulling Rainbow Dash closer.

"You're so warm…"

"Thanks; you're pretty warm, yourself. You're also soft, no matter what anyone says; like a cute little teddy bear."

The two held their embrace for a few moments, happy to be in each other's presence once again. A bit later, though she didn't want to, Rainbow broke the embrace. Sensing Soarin's concern, she managed a calm smile, which eased that concern.

"Be right back," she whispered.

After a quick bathroom break, Rainbow returned to Soarin's side, and the two smiled at one another for a bit before a knock on the door interrupted the moment.

"Darn it…" Rainbow muttered. "I'll go see who that is."

Answering the door yielded a postal worker.

"Got a letter here for you, Ms. Dash," he politely said.

"Thanks," Rainbow replied, accepting the bit of mail.

"Who's it from?" Soarin asked.

"Princess Cadance," Rainbow answered as she closed the door. "I had some things I needed to ask her; nothing to worry about."

With a reassuring nod from Soarin, Rainbow Dash sat back down and read Cadance's letter.

_Dear Rainbow Dash,_

_It's great to hear from you, and I'm happy to hear things have been going well in Ponyville. Congratulations on the new relationship! Some advice I can give you is to stick by him, never forget what you mean to each other, and take plenty of time getting to know each other. I hope this helps, and I wish you the best. If you have any other concerns, let me know, and I'll help in any way I can._

_By the way, Shining Armor and I are doing great! Life in the Crystal Empire is as peaceful (boring) as ever, but hey, it keeps me going…more or less. Anyway, you and the others take it easy._

_Sincerely,_

_Cadance_

"Well, that takes care of that," Rainbow sighed as she returned the letter to its envelope.

"I think we can…work with this," Soarin said. "We can just…hang out or something, just as you had wanted, and this time, I don't have to worry about any kind of schedule."

"My thoughts exactly, which makes me wonder how long you planned on sticking around."

"Well… I didn't really think of that. Heh heh… I was eager to get down here. I think I'll head home when it gets dark. I can visit at any time."

"Sounds great, Soarin. Actually, I'd love to go out to dinner with you. There aren't too many fancy places here, but I'm sure you know of some places. In the meantime, I'm fine with…sitting here…with you."

"That settles it, then; _nothing_ will stop us from spending time together. Whether it's a picnic, or just something like this, we've got this!"

With that, the two gathered a basket of things and headed out.

With the weather still pleasant, Rainbow Dash and Soarin decided to walk to the park rather than fly. As they passed through town, Rainbow pointed out various places of interest and the two returned whatever greetings were directed their way. The walk was relaxing until a familiar bundle of hyperactivity had them in a well-intentioned, but highly unexpected, embrace.

"Darn it, Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow shouted. "Why do you always feel the need to just… appear?"

"Because hugs are funnerific," Pinkie cheerfully answered, "especially when you throw one around a friend!"

"I agree that hugs are nice," Soarin said, easing himself out of Pinkie's grip, "but Rainbow and I are a bit busy right now."

"Oh, really? What's up?" Pinkie asked. Then she noticed the basket. "You're having a picnic!"

"Yes," Soarin confessed, helping Rainbow reorganize the basket's contents. "Rainbow Dash and I are heading to the park for a picnic.

"Can I come?" Pinkie asked.

"Ugh…" Rainbow groaned.

"Actually, Pinkie," Soaring began, "this is something Rainbow and I…threw together…just moments ago. We meant for it to just be her and I. Sorry."

"That's fine," Pinkie replied. "I'll see you around, then. Enjoy your picnic!"

"Yeah, we'll do that," Rainbow mumbled.

After Pinkie Pie left, Rainbow Dash and Soarin were alone again, and after making sure they had everything, they resumed their walk to the park.

After reaching Ponyville Park and finding a suitable location, Rainbow Dash and Soarin got everything for their impromptu picnic set out as needed, and shut everything else out of their minds. The only thing that mattered to them now was each other. No schedules, no deadlines, no chores of any kind… Nothing of that sort would interrupt their plans.

As Rainbow Dash prepared herself a peanut butter sandwich, she looked over to Soarin. When she noticed him silently staring at the sky, concern set in.

"Soarin? You OK?" she asked, hoping that would get the stallion's attention.

"Yeah, I'm cool," he answered, still looking at the sky.

"I'm over here," Rainbow said, sharply. "Hello?"

"Hello, yourself, Rain," Soarin replied as he smiled at her.

"Wait. What?" Rainbow Dash shifted her eyes a bit before facing Soarin again. "N-no one's ever called me that before…" She smiled. "I like it!"

After a quick laugh, Soarin helped himself to an apple. The two mostly sat in silence as they enjoyed the impromptu lunch break and the nice weather that surrounded them. Things were rather peaceful, though Soarin couldn't help shifting his gaze between Rainbow Dash and the scenery around her. Not wanting to anger her, he sighed and cleared his throat in an effort to get her attention.

"Hmm? What's up?" Rainbow asked.

"I—" Soarin began. There was something he wanted to say, but didn't know how. "I know I've wanted you and stuff, but this… It feels too good to be true; like a dream. You understand, right?"

Rainbow nodded.

"Right; then you may know where I'm going, here. I'm a bit worried, you see. I'm overjoyed to be here with you, but I have this…nagging feeling that something'll…force us apart, and it'll be like this wasn't meant to happen. I don't want that. I don't want to lose you, Rain. I love you."

"I feel the same way, Soarin," Rainbow replied. "Just as I told Twilight before, I _want_ this to work. I think it will."

"Works for me, I guess," Soarin sighed with a smile.

"You guess? What the hay's _that_ supposed to mean?!"

"Never mind. Forget I said that."

The two sat under a veil of tense silence for a while before Rainbow perked up and looked from side to side.

"What is it?" Soarin asked.

"I think we're being watched," Rainbow whispered.

"Let me guess…" Soarin looked toward some bushes nearby. "There's an Earth pony, a unicorn, and a pegasus hiding in the bushes I'm staring at now. They're curious about our picnic, it seems." He raised his voice a little. "No need to be shy, kids."

"Wait… 'Kids!?'" Rainbow exclaimed; then it hit her. "Crusaders…" she whispered. "For the love of Celestia, not now…" With the imminent interruption, she buried her face in her hooves, and groaned. "No… No… _ No!_"

"Oh, come on, you big baby," Soarin teased.

Rainbow shot Soarin an angry glare, then faced the trio in question.

"I was _certain_ that place would keep us hidden," the pegasus muttered.

"How'd you find us?" the unicorn asked.

"I didn't get into the Wonderbolts by being blind to my surroundings," Soarin laughed.

"I don't mean to be rude," Rainbow impatiently cut in, "but Soarin and I would like to have a nice, quiet picnic…_alone._"

"Sorry we interrupted you guys…" the three said in unison.

"Look…" Rainbow sighed. "Apple Bloom… Sweetie Belle… Scootaloo… I don't mind seeing you every so often, but your random appearances…and attempts at spying on others…aren't always as innocent as you want them to be." She stood up. "I'll see you guys around, hopefully when I'm not in the middle of something." She managed a smile.

The three nodded in understanding, and with a cheerful farewell, they raced off.

"So cute…" Soarin whispered.

"Not always…" Rainbow muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Let's get back to what we were doing," Soarin offered.

"What's the point?" Rainbow snapped. "We'll just get bothered again…"

"Would you rather call this off?"

"Huh? Call what off? The picnic?"

"Yeah, sure. Considering the park is a public place and all…"

"Please stop."

"Maybe I was just deluding myself…" Soarin muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Rainbow asked.

"Hey, at least we made an effort at this…" Soarin managed a weak laugh.

"Knock it off, Soarin, seriously. You really want to just drop this after the progress we've made on it?"

The stallion sighed and shook his head, yet avoided Rainbow Dash's gaze.

"Neither do I," Rainbow said, softly, sitting down next to Soarin. "Think about what we've said to each other… Think about the letters we've exchanged and those gifts you sent me…" With a hoof, she pulled his face close to hers. "Think about that letter I got from Princess Cadance. We both mean a great deal to each other. We know each other quite well, _especially_ from the letters we've exchanged. Sticking together is what I'm _known_ for."

Soarin managed a small smile.

"No turning back, Soarin," Rainbow added. "We've come way too far for it to fall apart now."

"You're right," Soarin replied. "I'm very sorry, Rain."

"Apology accepted."

"So this is it, then? Take it slowly like we agreed?" Soarin asked.

"Among other things…" Rainbow answered, seductively.

"Oh, really?" Soarin asked back, catching the mare's hint. "Like what?"

"I wasn't granted the Element of Loyalty for nothing, you know."

"Come here, you," Soarin laughed, drawing Rainbow Dash close. "Just know that I'll be holding you to all of those promises of loyalty you like to make."

"That's cool. I'll be doing the same for you."

With all doubts and disagreements resolved, Soarin gently placed a hoof on Rainbow Dash's cheek, and pulled her into a long-awaited and passionate kiss, and with that gesture, the two had officially accepted their new relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend.


	8. Epilogue: Two Hearts Fly as One

Morning; sunrise to be a bit more precise. Yet another day began with a gentle flourish, which earned nearly as much praise as the one who brought it. As it had done so many times before, the sun cast its first rays over the sleeping form of Rainbow Dash, stirring the dozing pegasus out of her restful slumber. With a soft groan, she opened her eyes. Waking up early would always be the one thing she would never enjoy, but recently, she had acquired something worth waking up for.

"Yep, you're still here," Rainbow whispered to the sleeping pegasus whose hooves she was still warmly wrapped in. "Soarin… Don't ever leave me."

This had become norm for Soarin and Rainbow Dash for the past couple weeks. The two would hang out somewhere, then they would wind up going out for dinner and retreating to one of their homes for the night. Between the places in question, Soarin preferred Rainbow Dash's house over his own; Rainbow wasn't really surprised when she found out.

As Rainbow Dash laid there with her boyfriend, the memories and trials they had experienced—both together and apart—played through her mind.

"It's certainly been one heck of a roller coaster," she noted, "but at least there's no…major opposition, or something like _that_ against us."

The rising and falling of Soarin's chest was like a soft metronome, and that, combined with the steadiness of his breathing and his heartbeat, became almost hypnotic for Rainbow Dash. After a short while, the rainbow-maned pegasus was lulled back to sleep by the lullaby-like atmosphere.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash could tell she had slept, and now, she could tell she was awake. Something was telling her to get up, but she didn't want to.<p>

"Five more minutes," she mumbled. "No? Fine, then…"

Slowly she opened her eyes, only to close them again. A split second later, she sat up in a hurry. Upon noticing she was alone, panic set in; said panic instantly disappeared as the smell of breakfast assailed Rainbow Dash's nostrils.

"OK, _now_ I'm getting up," she quipped.

With a yawn, she headed for the kitchen. Upon her arrival, Rainbow Dash found herself greeted by the aroma of pancakes… and the cheerful humming and singing of the pony preparing them.

"Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up… Oh, good morning, sweetie," Soarin said upon noticing his girlfriend standing in the doorway. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," Rainbow answered as she took a seat at the table. "You?"

"Absolutely!"

"Anything planned?"

"Not that I know of, unless you or your friends have anything going on."

The conversation found itself interrupted by the loud rumble of a certain daredevil's stomach.

"Why don't we go ahead and eat before you waste away?" Soarin teased.

Without a word, Rainbow Dash agreed, and she and Soarin ate, and after cleaning and doing whatever else they had to worry about, the two headed outside to enjoy the day.

* * *

><p>Walking or flying throughout Ponyville seemed a lot less stressful for Rainbow Dash and Soarin then it did when they first made their relationship public, though they both agreed that they were likely being paranoid. Occasionally, there would be a look or comment of disbelief directed their way, but Soarin made sure to intervene as needed.<p>

"There's still some folks who haven't quite gotten used to this, yet," Soarin said, lazily doing a few somersaults in midair.

"Huh?" Rainbow asked.

"Not everyone in Ponyville's really embraced us being together," he clarified.

"Oh, right. Don't worry about that; I don't. There'll always be some complaints. We just have to ignore them the best we can."

"I know. I'm just being crazy…yet again."

The two exchanged a quick laugh before landing on a patch of cloud. After the two made themselves comfortable. Soarin got Rainbow Dash's attention.

"Rain?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember what I had said to you when I first dropped all this love business on you?"

"You said a lot to me back then."

"Yeah, I did."

"Anything in particular you want me to recall?"

"When I told you I'd be the happiest stallion alive if you became my girlfriend."

"I do remember that,"

"Well…" Soarin sighed. "You became my girlfriend, and I am most overjoyed by that."

"So am I…but…where are you going with this?"

"We've been dating for two months now, and look at how close we've come in such a short time. I can't say it enough—I love you. I've been thinking of putting something special together to celebrate how far we've come, but I'm just not sure of what to do, exactly." Soarin shifted his gaze between different parts of the sky.

"It doesn't have to be anything overly flashy," Rainbow said as she calmly eased Soarin's face back toward her own. "You've done so much already just by spending time with me and taking me to dinner and stuff." Rainbow gave Soarin a quick kiss and smiled. "I love you, too. We don't need a big party to know things are awesome between us."

Soarin flashed a grin before giving a passionate kiss of his own. When the two broke the gesture, Soarin let out a sigh of relief and contentment.

"You are amazing," he whispered. "It's just…at first, the only ones we really told about starting out were our families and our closest friends."

Rainbow Dash laughed as she remembered the meeting with Soarin's parents. After stifling her laughter, she invited Soarin to continue.

"I'll worry about what's so funny later," he began, "but back to the current topic. Over time, we gained enough courage to express ourselves in public by kissing whenever we're on a date, holding hooves whenever we go somewhere, talking about ourselves or about the future with strangers… You get the idea."

"I do."

"The Wonderbolts have pretty much backed us both openly, and our loved ones are behind us, as well."

"Yeah. I just wish Spitfire didn't yell at me the way she did…"

"I agree; that was uncalled for." Soarin shook his head. "Anyway, the reception to our relationship has been rather warm, overall. Pretty much everyone we've talked to has had some really nice things to say to us."

"Even better when we have someone giving us some advice about different things we probably wouldn't have thought about, otherwise."

"Yeah, that is nice."

"So, anyway, what's going on here?"

"Reflecting on the progress we've made as a couple and the help and support we've received along the way. We've come a very long way, and we both agree that _nothing_ will tear us apart."

"But what about when your vacation's up? You'll be traveling all over Equestria while I'm here alone. What then?" Rainbow asked, her voice wavering.

"Hey, it's not _all_ bad," Soarin replied, soothingly. "You'll be starting in the Reserves before too long, so we'll be seeing each other a lot more frequently than you might think."

"Even with you on tour?"

"The Reserves do some stuff with the main team, which means we'll most likely be on tour together. And given the circumstances, there's _no way_ Spitfire'll split us up, _especially_ after that big lecture she gave you."

"My head still hurts from that…"

"Point is, not even _death_ will separate us. If I'm not mistaken, the exact wording is 'til death do you part,' but we both know that our love is so much stronger than that."

"Soarin, you're such a sweetheart."

"So are you…Element of Loyalty."

"I don't even have that anymore. I told you the whole story. Remember?"

"The Element's power, or whatever you'd like to call it, is still in your heart."

"Works for me…" Rainbow whispered as she rested her head against Soarin's chest.

As the two sat there and held their embrace, Soarin smiled and looked toward different parts of the sky. Every so often, he'd look back at Rainbow Dash and calmly stroke her head, which earned a soft laugh, which eventually turned into snoring.

"You are so cute, Rain," Soarin whispered, "especially when you're sleeping."

After kissing his girlfriend on the forehead and gently laying her on the clouds, sighed happily, curled up next to the mare, and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash awoke uneventfully. After opening her eyes, she stared at the sky above for a while, then smiled upon noticing Soarin curled up next to her.<p>

"How long was I asleep for?" she asked to no one in particular.

A light breeze passed, which made Rainbow Dash shiver as it graced her wings. After recovering from the chill, she turned back to Soarin.

"Hey, big guy," she calmly whispered as she nudged him. "Soarin… Boyfriend of mine… We've napped long enough." As her efforts were met with loud snores, Rainbow Dash got a new idea, this one many times less innocent than sweet-talking and a few calm nudges. "Please don't hate me too much," she whispered as she quietly flew away with a sly grin on her face.

A moment later, Rainbow Dash had returned with all she needed in order to execute "Plan B" for waking up Soarin: a freshly-made raincloud.

"Who's ready for a shower?" Rainbow asked, trying not to laugh. "I'd say you are, Soarin…" The daredevil with a mischievous side positioned the cloud as needed and prepared for the sneak attack. With a sharp kick from her back hooves, Rainbow Dash had emptied the raincloud onto her unsuspecting boyfriend. "…now all you need is some soap."

Feeling himself soaked to the bone, Soarin woke with a start.

"What the—?!" he exclaimed. "Where'd this rain come from?"

"About time you woke up," Rainbow quipped, earning her victim's attention.

"Rainbow…" Soarin shook his head and facehoofed. "A raincloud? Seriously?"

"Yes…" Rainbow giggled. "So, do you plan to just stand there and get wetter than you already are, or do you plan to go and dry yourself off?"

"How can I dry myself when there's a seemingly-infinite supply of water over my head?" Soarin mused.

"OK, fine."

Without missing a beat, Rainbow sent the raincloud away and landed next to Soarin, unknowingly setting herself up to be the recipient of a sizable amount of rainwater. As he shook himself off, Soarin smirked in response to Rainbow Dash's attempts at deflecting the counterattack. When he finished, he closed the distance between himself and his girlfriend.

"What's the matter? Need a towel, or am I imagining things?"

"I'll be needing a towel, if you don't mind. You got me this time, but just you wait, Soarin…"

"Actually, I'd say this makes us even, _Rainbow Sponge_," Soarin laughed.

"You're hilarious," Rainbow replied, leaning against Soarin, "but seriously, can I go dry myself off?"

"Yeah."

With a nap and some antics behind them, Soarin and Rainbow Dash went back to get themselves dried before doing anything else.

* * *

><p>After everything that had happened up to the current moment, the whole morning and a good part of the afternoon had vanished. Now, Rainbow Dash and Soarin sat inside Sugarcube Corner and enjoyed a snack.<p>

"You are, without a doubt, the greatest mare I've ever met," Soarin said after taking a sip of the milkshake he had ordered.

"That's…so nice of you to say," Rainbow replied, suddenly blushing.

"I'm curious about something."

"Really? Like what?"

"That…talk that Spitfire had with you. I'd like _your_ opinion on the matter."

"I never knew Spitfire was so messed up. At first, it was like she was happy for us, then she was worried about you, then she got all 'mother grizzly' over you." Rainbow Dash paused to take a sip of her own milkshake. "'If you even _think_ about hurting him, I will make sure you suffer for it! Is that clear?'"

"Not a bad impression, there," Soarin cut in, "though, I wouldn't advise letting her hear you refer to her as 'messed up.' This _is_ your future captain you're referring to."

"I'm…well aware of that," Rainbow sighed.

"You understand why she's like that though, right?"

"Yeah, I understand. She came from a broken family and eventually saw you and the two friends you lost contact with as more of a family than her own relatives. She told me the whole story."

"There you go. The nightmare she endured…affected her…to the point that she _still_ cries about it. If you lived through that, you'd be just as 'messed up,' as you put it."

"The good news is that Spitfire'll do anything she can to keep us together. As a friend, she's OK."

"Exactly. Given the right circumstances, she can be a lot of fun to hang out with, as you've seen before."

Rainbow Dash smiled and nodded.

"On the converse, you know how Spitfire is when faced with competition or when she has official business to tend to, such as the academy."

"I know what you mean. By the way, when it comes to competition, at least in my experience, Fleetfoot's about as bad as Spitfire, if not worse."

"I can understand why you'd think that," Soarin replied with a nod. "But in any case, we're on the same page about this, right?"

"Right."

The two sat and finished their milkshakes in silence. Afterward, the two pegasi departed the local sweet shop and went flying around Ponyville until it became too dark to see. With the light of the moon and stars guiding them, Rainbow Dash and Soarin went home and went to bed.

* * *

><p>The next day had a bit of a slow start, mostly for Rainbow Dash. She was awake at the crack of dawn again, but this time, it was caused by some motion from Soaring. While he was typically a heavy sleeper, he woke with a bit of a start and eased his companion off of him.<p>

"Soarin?" Rainbow asked, still weary from fatigue. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry for waking you," he whispered.

"You're up early."

"Yeah… Why don't you go back to sleep?"

"What about you?"

"I'm going to fly around for a bit."

After a kiss between the two pegasi, Soarin headed out while Rainbow Dash tried to make herself comfortable amid the loneliness she felt. After a few tries, she managed a tolerable position on her bed and fell back to sleep.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash awoke to find herself still alone.<p>

"Where did he go?" she asked, worriedly. "He couldn't have gone home without telling me." She sat up. "Unless he's up to something…"

In her concern for Soarin, Rainbow Dash went outside and sat down in front of the door. After nervously looking from one part of the sky to another, she sighed and took flight.

_Where is he?_ she wondered as she drifted among the clouds. _He said he'd just be out for a bit. Did he get lost or something?_

Wanting some sort of distraction, Rainbow Dash tended to the clouds as needed, leaving the sky as empty as she still felt. With her cloud management finished, she went back to drifting aimlessly. Unfortunately, her mind was only focused on one thing.

"Soarin…" she managed as tears began to fall from her eyes. "Why?"

Not wanting to attract any unwanted attention, the crying pegasus wiped her eyes the best she could and flew back home. Given her current emotional state, Rainbow Dash just wanted to go home and hide. The moment her front door entered her line of sight, however, she froze in midair and made an abrupt landing. Without missing a beat, Rainbow Dash raced up to the reason for her sudden landing and let out what was currently on her mind.

"DARN YOU, SOARIN!" she yelled as she slapped her boyfriend. "DO YOU HAVE _ANY_ IDEA HOW WORRIED I WAS?!" She raised a hoof to slap him again—he flinched in anticipation of the strike—but instead fell into his chest and wept freely. "You told me you'd only be gone for a bit, but when I woke up…" She paused to catch her breath. "…you were still gone. I checked the house and even flew around town looking for you."

"I am so sorry," he whispered as he held her. "I am truly…_truly_ sorry I had you so worried."

"Where were you?" she sobbed. "What took you so long? Did you travel to the other end of Equestria?"

"I flew around, just as I told you, but I just lost track of time. I came back as quick as I could. I noticed you were already up and gone, so I was about to leave and find _you_." Normally, he'd laugh, but this was no time for that. "My weeping angel…please don't cry," he whispered, soothingly. "Shh… Shh… It's alright, Rain."

"'Weeping angel'?" Rainbow asked. "Shouldn't you have disappeared, then?"

"You _must_ be feeling better if you're able to make jokes," Soarin noted with a laugh.

"Yeah. Just promise me you'll give me a warning about this next time."

"I promise."

The two stood there in a comforting embrace for a bit…before the moment was interrupted by the rumble of Rainbow Dash's stomach.

"Oops…" Rainbow laughed. "Sorry…"

"You hungry?"

"What do you think?"

"Let's stop somewhere for lunch."

"Sounds great."

After getting their bearings, Rainbow Dash and Soarin took flight in the search for some lunch.

* * *

><p>"That is insane!" Rainbow laughed as she consumed a few hayfries.<p>

"You're telling me," Soaring replied after taking a sip from his drink.

Considering that both pegasi had skipped breakfast and took their own personal flight, the two were starved, and their latest flight didn't help. Too hungry to think, Soarin just chose to stop at the local burger joint, the Hayburger. Rainbow Dash had no complaints as she was also desperate to eat something before she wasted away.

Once inside, they wasted no time ordering lunch. As soon as they sat down, they ate. Once satisfied, the two fell into conversation. Soarin felt obligated to share some of his experiences in the Wonderbolt Training Academy, so he did just that. At this part of the conversation, Soarin had just described a prank he and a few others had pulled on their captain.

"I bet Solar was furious," Rainbow mused.

"Actually, he was totally cool with it," Soarin replied. "Of course…he was a pretty easy-going guy, anyway. I hated to see him go; so did a lot of the others."

"Right." Rainbow Dash took a sip of her own drink. "So, what did Spitfire say when she found out about your prank?"

"She was concerned at first, but then, she went into this lecture about acting mature and stuff," Soarin answered, smiling at the memory of times long passed.

"That…sounds kind of familiar," Rainbow muttered as she rolled her eyes.

The two finished their lunch in silence as they each thought about various matters, both personal and not so personal. After the food and drinks were finished, Rainbow Dash and Soarin sat and smiled at one another. Soarin made a motion like he wanted to say something, but was approached by a foal wanting an autograph. After granting his young fan's request, Soarin turned his attention back toward his girlfriend.

"I had some thoughts," he began.

"Oh, really?" Rainbow asked. "Like what?"

"First, I was thinking I'd stay at my own place tonight, and maybe tomorrow night, as well."

"That's fine, as long as you behave yourself."

Soarin laughed for a while before making a reply.

"I promise I'll behave myself," he said, shaking his head.

"So, what else is on your mind?"

"I had something I wanted to do to commemorate our two-month anniversary. The catch is this: I haven't told anyone what it is, and I don't want anyone—not even you—finding out about it until the right moment. I want you to go spend some time with your friends, and I'll get you when I'm ready to reveal my surprise. Does that sound good?" He noticed a look of worry. "Rain?"

"Yeah, it's fine," she replied. "I'll be waiting for you."

When the two were finished, they left the Hayburger, and after exchanging a quick kiss, Rainbow Dash and Soarin went their separate ways.

_Now to occupy myself until he gets done with that surprise of his_, Rainbow thought.

When the light bulb went on in the athletic pegasus's brain, she set off toward the library.

* * *

><p>"Hopefully, she's here," Rainbow whispered as she faced the door. "And now…" She knocked and took a couple steps back. "…to wait."<p>

To Rainbow Dash's relief, the wait was short. With a light click, the library's front door opened to reveal the structure's main resident, Twilight Sparkle.

"Hey, Rainbow," Twilight happily said. "What brings you here?"

"Just wanted to hang out for a bit," Rainbow answered. "Something to pass the time, you know?"

"Did Spike make nachos?" Rainbow asked.

"No! No! For the love of Celestia, no!" a youthful voice cried in frustration.

"OK, jeez, forget I asked," Rainbow said in response to the outburst. "I already had lunch, anyway."

"Just come on in," Twilight said with a laugh.

After accepting her friend's invitation, Rainbow Dash sat down on the stairs.

"So, what's up?" Twilight asked as she sat next to her friend.

With that, Rainbow Dash summarized that day's prior events. After finishing, she fell silent and looked around the room.

"Sounds like you had a rather…interesting day, to say the least," Twilight noted.

"Yeah…" Rainbow whispered in response.

"Hey," Twilight said, calmly nudging her friend. "Cheer up, Rainbow. It'll all be OK; you'll see."

Rainbow Dash just stared at the floor and sighed.

"I believe you, Twilight," she began, "but everything just… I don't know."

Twilight calmly draped a wing over her friend.

"What is truly bothering you, Rainbow?" she asked in a maternal whisper.

"That fear that I could lose him after everything we've worked to build," Rainbow confessed.

"The fact that you have that fear in your heart just proves how much you love him," Twilight explained, a calm smile now resting on her face.

Rainbow Dash met Twilight's smile with a weak smile of her own. Without a word, Twilight withdrew her wing and levitated a book from one of the shelves over to her friend. Rainbow Dash took the book and smiled as she stared at the book that first got her into reading.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Any time," Twilight replied.

As Rainbow Dash opened the copy of _Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue_ and began reading, Twilight retrieved another book from the shelf and began a reading session of her own. Time passed by as the two friends lost themselves in their respective pieces of literature. It was only when a knock on the door echoed around the room that the two stirred.

"I'll get that," Twilight said as she got up. After identifying the visitor, she called to her friend. "Rainbow, it's for you."

The daredevil didn't need to wait for a signal; she dropped the book and flew outside in a flash.

"Let's go to the park," Soarin offered.

The two arrived at their destination and Rainbow Dash couldn't take her eyes off the thing Soarin now carried; he noticed. After taking a seat in the shade of an oak tree, Soarin broke the silence.

"Come sit by me, Rain," he said. Once she was comfortable, Soarin continued. "I'd like to give you something." He pulled out a box and handed it over. "This is part of my surprise; go ahead and open it."

Rainbow slowly opened the box in question and gasped as she beheld the sight of a gold necklace adorned with gems in each color of the rainbow.

"Rarity'll be so jealous," Rainbow noted as she began to cry tears of happiness. After equipping the necklace—with Soarin's help—she was able to speak clearly again. "Thank you," she said as the two embraced. "So, what's the rest of your surprise?"

"I'm going to move in with you, if that's alright," Soarin answered.

"That's perfect!" Rainbow exclaimed, hugging Soarin tighter.

"I just have to go and get my things," he explained. "Once I'm done packing and moving, I'll be set." Soarin eased his girlfriend back a bit and sighed. "The thing is…I started out wanting to be your friend, which you accepted, but then, things went from there. We've gotten to know each other so well… Just look at how close we've become." He sighed. "You are my precious little rainbow. I love you with all my heart and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us."

Rainbow Dash leaned against Soarin and cried softly.

"Soarin, I feel exactly the same way," she said. "We've got so much ahead of us."

With their plans and dreams regarding their future together secured, Rainbow Dash and Soarin sat together in the shade until Soarin had to go home for the night. As Rainbow Dash made herself comfortable in her own bed, her mind replayed everything that had happened during her relationship with Soarin, and she drifted off into dreams of the cheerful stallion who had won her heart.


End file.
